The Shelton Family

Combat veteran and below-knee amputee, Lance Cpl. Ceontre Shelton started his path toward the United States Marine Corps at a young age, joining his high school ROTC as a freshman and enlisting upon his graduation in 2010. After completing military occupation specialty training at the School of Infantry the following year, Shelton shipped out to Afghanistan in September 2011 as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

In December 2011, Shelton became a Purple Heart recipient. After his vehicle was struck by an IED while on patrol, Shelton’s platoon came under fire. When he saw a group of Afghanistan National Army (ANA) soldiers without their weapons, he went to help them but was struck by another IED, this time without the protection of his vehicle.

Shelton sustained several injuries, including a left platella fracture, left nerve damage, shrapnel scars and a traumatic brain injury. The attack resulted in the below-knee amputation of his right leg. Shelton underwent rehabilitation at the Center for Intrepid (CFI) at the San Antonio Military Medical Center, where his support group helped him through his injuries and the resulting PTSD to become one of the fastest recovering patients at the CFI.

Today, Shelton lives with his fiancé Kyndell Hauenstein and attends the University Technical Institute for auto repair. He plans to become a certified auto repair technician for Ford upon completing the program.