Veteran carries fellow Marine on hikes together, lost legs in combat

OGDEN, Utah — Two veterans in Utah have an unbreakable bond forged in combat after one of them lost his legs in Afghanistan.

They still hang out and go hiking together, even if that means one man has to carry his brother-in-arms.

Jonathon Blank and John Nelson both served in the Special Operations Unit of the Marine Corps.

"We shared a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we were and it was all worth it," said Blank.

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Ten years ago, Nelson had stepped away from where Blank was standing just as an explosive device went off.

"A few days ago I drove by and said, 'You know what? I think I'm going to take Jon to the top of that, by myself,'" Nelson told KSTU.

It takes a special kind of brotherhood to carry 135 pounds of weight on your shoulders up 14.3 miles of steep terrain.

"I thought this would be something epic for him to experience, to actually get to the saddle," said Nelson.

It was an emotional trip for Blank, but also for fellow hikers who passed by.

"If that's what they're doing for recreation, imagine those guys on the battlefield," said Phil Casper as he watched the pair climb past him.

"When you see that, you see that determination for them to do what they do, you want to do that for your friends and family," said Nate Larid, another hiker.

It's inspiration Blank hopes to spark in anyone who thinks they can't accomplish anything they want to.

"Not only have I lived through this, but we're also special operations guys. We can do anything. We can maybe instill that mindset into other people," said Blank.

The next hike Nelson and Blank are planning is for Veterans Day and they're hiking Mt. Whitney.

CNN/KSTU