Quick Facts
Biography
Sergeant Charles Linville was born on August 22, 1985 in Boise, Idaho. He is the first combat-wounded veteran ever to summit Mount Everest. He made this climb after three years of training. Linville was injured when serving his second tour in Afghanistan. He was working as a bomb technician, and was sent in to do a post-blast analysis after two of his men stepped on I.E.D.s. He was injured when he stayed in the area to do a sweep of it. Linville is exclusively represented by Leading Authorities Speakers Bureau, and discusses his story of going from a soldier to technician to wounded veteran, as well as the decision to amputate his right foot. Linville is still checking items off his bucket list and achieving his goals.
Background
Linville enlisted in the Marine Corps and attended a boot camp in California in 2006. He then went to the School of Infantry at Camp Pendleton and completed SOI training. He became an assault man and was deployed to Iraq. During his tour, he was promoted to Corporal. After returning from Iraq, Linville decided to pursue explosives further. He was sent to Afghanistan in 2010. He was then placed with a different EOD team and worked in Sangin, where he continued to disarm many IEDs. On January 20, 2011, he was conducting a post-blast analysis sweep, and was struck by an IED. He had multiple injuries and was immediately evacuated to Bastian Medical Center for hand surgery. Linville has multiple other surgeries on his hand and foot. He lost his foot after a 14 month fight, and received the Purple Heart Award. In 2014, he joined the Heroes Project, a 501(c)3 under the leadership of Tim Medvetz, to climb Mount Everest, and he became the first combat-wounded veteran to summit Mount Everest.
Personal life
Charles Linville is the youngest of four. He has three older sisters, Brooke, Elizabeth, and Heather. His father was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma when Charlie was a freshman in high school. Charlie later married Mandi on August 26, 2006. Together they have two daughters, Taylor and Dyllan.
Awards
Purple Heart Award