John Nelson and Jonathon Blank met each other ten years ago, when they were serving together in a special operations unit of the Marine Corps that was stationed in Afghanistan.

In 2010, the two were on a mission in the field when a bomb exploded, causing Jonathon to lose both of his legs. Though Jonathon beat the odds to survive, his recovery took three years and over 60 surgeries.

Serving together overseas bonded John and Jonathon for life, and they remained close after returning stateside. In fact, the two became virtually inseparable in the years after they returned home.

Despite the fact that he has no legs, Jonathon still loves being outside and doing things like going on adventures and even hiking. Jonathon moved to Utah recently, and since he got there, he’s been dreaming of taking on Mount Timpanogos, one of the state’s most popular destinations for hikers.

Last month, Jonathon asked John if wanted to hike Timpanogos, and the fellow veteran just could not say no. The treck would not be easy for John, however, as it meant he had to carry his 135-pound friend over 14 miles up the steep mountainside on his back all by himself. Nevertheless, he was determined to complete the hike for his old buddy.

When the two veterans began their hike, they never expected it to take the emotional turn that it did. As they headed down the trail, John and Jonathon were spotted by a man who thought that John was carrying a large backpack. When he realized he was actually carrying his friend, he was so touched that he snapped a few photos, which have since gone viral and touched the hearts of people all over the world.

Find out more about this in the video below.