A soldier’s life.

Jonathon Blank and John Nelson both served in the same U.S. Marine platoon deployed in Afghanistan in 2010. Amidst a mission, an explosive next to Blank blew up that nearly took his life.

“I took a few steps and everything just went white,” Blank told NBC News while trying to recollect the last thing he remembered after the explosion. “There’s like an instant knockout.”

Thankfully, his comrade, Nelson was there, he immediately rushed to aide Jonathon and stop the bleeding. The injured Marine couldn’t be more thankful for his brother-in-arms’ quick response and thinking.

If it wasn’t for Nelson, the ending of that tragic incident could’ve been worse than expected.

Despite Nelson’s efforts, the explosion still took both of Blank’s legs.

Because of the severity of his injuries, both his legs had to be removed and right after that unfortunate day, life hasn’t been easy for Blank. He needed to be back in shape and give his life a new purpose, and to do that, he had to reinvent his entire life.

A soldier’s life sure is dangerous especially once they get deployed to places and go to war. But apart from the downright dangers of the warzone, they also fight for something after their service – their own lives.

Little do we know, most people who served in the military forces suffer from PTSD or post-traumatic stress disorder, an anxiety disorder caused by very stressful, frightening, or distressing events. This particularly occurs in veterans who suffered fatal injuries during their service just like Blank.

The brave Marine veteran weathered the storm and didn’t let it get the best of him.

Blank decided to move to Utah and there, he tried to start living his life as a retiree to the fullest. He did plenty of outdoor activities such as skiing, sailing, and hunting.

Both Blank and Nelson retired from service and they eventually became real friends. “We really are like a band of brothers,” Blank said.

In 2019, when they were passing by close to Jonathon’s home in Utah, they saw Mount Timpanogos. Turns out, Blank had always been dreaming about reaching the mountain’s peak. After hearing it from his friend, Nelson offered to help him reach his dream of climbing the mountain’s top.

To do it, John had to carry Jonathon on his back, and together, they reached Mount Timpanogos’ peak after a day and a half of trekking over a distance of 14 miles with an elevation of about 4,500 feet.

Their journey didn’t stop there, after climbing Mount Timpanogos, they decided to climb Mount Whitney next.

It’s the highest mountain in the contiguous United States and the Sierra Nevada, with an elevation of 14,505 feet. Unlike before, their new adventure wouldn’t be possible if it was just the two of them that’s why their friends and fellow veterans decided to join them.

It was a 2-mile hike over steep and rocky terrain. The climb was foreseen to be really long that’s why they started moving as early as 3 in the early morning and after 16 dehydrating and tiring hours, finally, they reached Mount Whitney’s summit!

“I’m happy that I have all of you in my life and made this special,” Blank said. “To even see you guys put out and push yourselves, probably do something you didn’t even know you could do. Love you guys.”

This story goes to show that soldiers don’t just have each other’s back on the battlefield but also in real life.

Know more about this incredible story by watching the video below.

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Source: Positive Outlooks, YouTube – NBC News, FOX 13