When a grenade landed between Private 1st Class Bruce Carter and his comrades during the Vietnam War, Carter selflessly threw himself over the explosive, sacrificing himself to save his friends.
Pfc. Carter was originally interred in Miami, Florida, but his family recently received approval to have him join the more than 400,000 heroes at Arlington National Cemetery.
American Airlines flew the body of Pfc Carter from Miami to Washington Friday and says they are proud to be providing the transportation to his final resting spot.
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Pfc. Carter is scheduled to be buried on November 4.
On August 7, 1969, Pfc Carter's unit came under heavy fire during Operation Idaho Canyon and encountered a numerically superior hostile North Vietnamese army.
The lead element then became separated from the main body of the squad by a brush fire.
As Carter and his fellow Marines found themselves pinned down by vicious crossfire, Carter stood up and faced the North Vietnamese Army, delivering a heavy volume of bullets that caused several enemy casualties and forced the remainder of the soldiers to retreat.
Carter then led the Marines from the path of the rapidly approaching brush fire when he observed a hostile grenade land between him and his companions.
Pfc Carter threw his body over the device and absorbed the full effects of the grenades' explosion, saving the lives of the Marines around him.
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Because of his heroic actions and selfless devotion of duty, Pfc Carter was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest award for valor in combat. Semper Fi!