The Medal of Honor recipient engaged to Bristol Palin, the oldest daughter of 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, told NBC News that his fiancee and her son have given him "a new lease on life."
"If the last five years taught me anything, it is that there are no guarantees for tomorrow. We've all lost so many friends who had so many dreams," said Dakota Meyer, who was awarded the Medal of Honor in 2011 for saving the lives of 36 of his comrades during a 2009 ambush in Afghanistan. "For years now, I couldn't move forward in my life mourning their loss. It's the last thing any of them would have wanted for me."
Bristol Palin has said she met Meyer, 26, last year when he came to Alaska to film the reality television series "Amazing America" with her mother, the former governor of Alaska and running mate of GOP presidential nominee John McCain.
"For the first time in a long time, I am truly happy and looking forward to living each day for the rest of my life with Bristol," Meyer said. "I feel like Bristol and Tripp have given me a new lease on life, and I can hardly wait to share it with them."
On her Facebook page, Sarah Palin said, "Our families couldn't be happier for Bristol and Dakota! We're honored to welcome Dakota into our family."
