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Memorial Day Newsletter
Sunday, May 28, 2006
By: HFOT Staff
May 06 Newsletter
Dear Supporter,
May is Armed Forces month, a time to make a special effort to recognize the men and women who protect our freedoms.
On Memorial Day, people across the country will gather together to remember those who have given their life in defense of this country. Thanks to your past generosity, many deserving veterans and their families are now living in handicap accessible homes suited to their needs, and we have many more projects under construction or in the planning stages. For that, you should be proud.
A Tribute to Victoria Mosier 
Homes for Our Troops lost one of its own on May 5th. Victoria was a founding member of our organization, our Administrative Director, but more importantly she was our friend and the mother of our founder, John Gonsalves. She passed away unexpectedly while in Washington, D.C. being honored for the work she and others are doing to help the men and women serving in our Armed Forces.
Victoria lived her life to help others. From working as a member of the Raynham Police Dept., an EMT, a CPR instructor, and in the medical field for most of her life, she was an inspiration to us all. Her dedication to helping the injured members of our military went far beyond the hours worked in the office. She lived and breathed Homes for Our Troops’ mission 24 hours a day 7 days a week - it was her passion.
“She was just a great person. The kind of person you meet once in a lifetime.”
The organization will carry on, but it will be a different organization without her, and she will be greatly missed by everyone who knew her. | |
Your Donations Are Making A Difference
Here are just a few of the veterans who now have handicap accessible homes. We were able to complete these projects - thanks to you.
 Sgt. Peter Damon - Massachusetts
Army National Guard SGT. Peter Damon received Homes for Our Troops’ first home. Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
presided over the ceremony on October 13, 2005, when Homes for Our Troops presented SGT. Damon with the keys to his new home. Sgt. Damon lost both arms when a Blackhawk helicopter tire he was working on exploded. SGT. Damon, his wife and their two children are now living in a handicap accessible home that allows them to live with the certainty that they have a home to call their own. Hundreds of people and dozens of companies donated labor and materials to make SGT. Damon’s dream a reality. This home is a true reflection of the caring spirit of the American people toward those who have sacrificed greatly while defending our country.
 View the Photo Album for SGT. Peter Damon's Home Building Project in Middleboro, MA
 CPL. Bobby Isaacs - North Carolina
Ten months after CPL. Isaacs joined the Army in 2002, his life changed forever; a roadside bomb ripped apart his convoy as it traveled near Mosul, Iraq. CPL. Isaacs initially was given an imminent death retirement because he wasn’t expected to recover from his injuries. After 37 operations,
CPL. Isaacs wants to go to college so he can work with amputees. Homes for Our Troops helped
CPL. Isaacs achieve his dreams for the future by providing him with a handicap accessible home.
View the Photo Album for Bobby's Home Adaptation Project in North Carolina
 ARMY PFC. Sam Ross, Jr. - Pennsylvania
PFC. Ross, a combat engineer with the 82nd Airborne Division, was wounded in 2003 while disposing of munitions that were wounding and killing Iraqi children in an area near Baghdad. More than two years ago that explosion took his sight, his left leg, part of his hearing and his military career. Homes for Our Troops was contacted by many concerned friends of Sam and he is now enjoying the
American dream of home ownership.
View the Photo Album of Army PFC. Ross's Home Building Project in Dunbar, PA
Read the letter of appreciation to Homes for Our Troops from US Army Major General, William B. Caldwell.
 CWO Juan Beltran - Pico Rivera, CA
A husband and father, Juan Beltran already had a home. Severely injured in Iraq while piloting an Apache helicopter, Juan came home a quadriplegic. Trying to move around his home in a wheelchair was almost impossible. Although Juan's house had 2 bathrooms, neither was wheelchair accessible to him and we needed to remodel his master bathroom to make it ADA compliant and accessible. Local businesses and individuals played the major role in this project, and Homes for Our Troops focused on identifying possible sources of donated materials and services that were needed to complete the work.
View the Photo Album for Juan Beltran's Home Adaptation Project in Pico Rivera, CA
 MSG Luis Rodriguez - Clarksville, TN
MSG Rodriguez, an Army Medic of 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, KY, was the recipient of an "Extreme Makeover" to his house, from the ABC show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition." Homes for Our Troops was invited by the show's star, Ty Pennington, to receive donations from the old house.
Homes For Our Troops also provided labor to assist in the build of Luis' new home, and the labor that worked as the talent for the design team.
 Send a Free Memorial Day eCard!
Send free eCards to your family and friends to help us get the word out about Homes for Our Troops! Choose from several different patriotic designs!
Start Now!
Your Generosity In Action
We have projects underway across the country. One such project is for Army SPC. Kyle Burleson of Louisiana, a husband and father of two young children. SPC. Burleson of the 1st Cavalry Division was critically wounded in a firefight in Iraq while serving as a top gunner on a HMMWV. Kyle was shot in his left cheek and the bullet exited the back of his neck, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. When we heard that Kyle and his family were living in one bedroom of Kyle’s mother’s house, we were able to respond immediately and begin construction of their new home. Here are some pictures of Kyle, his wife and one of their daughters, and the construction work going on in Springhill, LA.
Visit Kyle's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Kyle and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs
   
Kyle & Kristy with one Foundation Work Walls of Home Going Up Roofing Work
of their daughters
More Projects Underway
 Sgt. Jared Luce USMCR, from the 6th Motor Transport, 4th FSSG out of New Haven, CT was attached
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View the entire Projects Map on our website.
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to the 1st TSB, 1st FSSG in Iraq. While driving the maintenance contact vehicle in a convoy enroute to
Hit, Iraq, the HMMWV he was driving was blown up by a double-stacked land mine as he drove the
vehicle to recover a broken down vehicle in the convoy. Jared lost both of his legs and suffered severe
damage to his left hand and left eye. One of Jared's #1 desires is to stay in the Marine Corps Reserve
and go back to school.
Jared, his wife Melanie and their 3 young boys will be settling in CT. They have just purchased land for
their project and we will begin building their home soon.
View Jared's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Jared and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 Cpl. Brian Johnston, USMC, from Charlie Company, 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines, 1st Marine Division, was wounded November 8, 2004 in Fallujah, Iraq, when the Amphibious Assault Vehicle he was riding in was hit by an IED. Brian lost his right leg and right arm in that attack.
Brian would like to settle in north-central Connecticut to live near friends who are there to provide support and encouragement during his recovery.
We will be either building Brian a home, or buying Brian a home and adapting it to meet his needs.
View Brian's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Brian and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 HM3 Joe Dan "Doc" Worley, a Navy Corpsman assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines in Iraq was wounded on September 17, 2004, while rushing to the aid of a wounded Marine. Joe-Dan lost his left leg to an IED and suffered five gun shot wounds to his right leg, leaving that leg severely damaged. Doc, his wife Angel and their baby Abigail have just moved to the Douglasville area, where they are renting an apartment while we adapt their new home.
View Joe Dan' Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Joe Dan and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 SSG John Bennett, Charlie Company, 163rd Mechanized Infantry Unit, Montana, USANG, was shot in the stomach by a sniper and left paralyzed from the waist-down. John, his wife and their four children are presently living in a very small house that requires that their children live in their basement, which sometimes leaks and becomes musty.
John and his family, who have already sacrificed so much for this country, deserve much better living conditions than this.
Homes for Our Troops will be building the Bennett's a new handicap accessible home.
View John's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help John and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
View the Photo Album of SSG John Bennett's Home Building Project
 SGT Erick Edmundson is a member of the 172nd Stryker Brigade, 4th Squadron, 14th Cavlery, stationed out of Fort Wainwright, Alaska.
On October 2, 2005 the Stryker vehicle he was driving hit an IED (improvised explosive device). Erick sustained serious injuries and was eventually airlifted to Germany.
Homes for Our Troops will be building SGT Edmundsun a handicap accessible home in New Bern, NC
View Erick's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Erick and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 SPC. James "Jimmy" Benoit - Wharton, New Jersey
SPC Benoit was severely wounded Sept. 8, 2005, by a roadside bomb attack in Iraq that severely wounded his backside, and left him confined to a wheelchair with the long-term prognosis that he may never walk again without assistance.
With a buildable lot that Jimmy purchased from the borough of Wharton, Homes for Our Troops, along with the efforts of the mayor and councilmen of the borough in which Jimmy grew up, we will be working with local donors, businesses and contractors to build Jimmy a home to meet his needs.
View Jimmy's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Jimmy and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
SPC. Pisey Tan lost both legs while serving in Iraq. Homes for Our Troops will be buidling SPC Pisey a house in partnership with the McKee Group, out of Philidelphia, PA.
View Pisey's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Pisey and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 Army SGT Shawn Monroe - League City, TX
Sergeant Shawn Monroe was injured when mortar fire hit while he was waiting outside a Baghdad police station.
Homes for Our Troops will be providing a home in the Santa Fe, TX area for Shawn, his wife and 3 children.
View Shawn's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Shawn and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 Marine Sgt. Christopher Fesmire was medically retired from the 1st Marine Division after an anti-tank mine left him a double above-the-knee amputee in October 2004.
Sgt. Fesmire lives in California and wants to live in Colorado. Homes for Our Troops will be providing Chris with a home suited to his needs.
View Chris's Project Page to learn how you can contribute to help Christopher and others like him live in homes to suit their unique needs.
 Watch the newest video right on our website!
The Pentagon Channel produced a documentary on Homes for Our Troops this month called “New Beginnings”
The documentary highlights four veterans and shows what we do to provide them with handicap accessible homes.
View this heartwarming 30 minute documentary right on the home page of our website. http://www.homesforourtroops.org/
 August 6, 2006 Nashua, NH
3rd Annual Homes for Our Troops Motorcycle Ride sponsored by Texas Roadhouse and Twin States Harley-Davidson of New Hampshire.
We will be raffling off a 2006 Harley-Davidson Custom FatBoy! Tickets are limited and will be available through our website and select locations! We will be sending out an email notification when raffle tickets are available.
Harley Raffle, Breakfast, BBQ, T-Shirt, Ride, and Concert all to benefit HFOT.
| BEAT THE CROWDS! Pre-Register for the ride right on our website. Print out the registration form and you will be way ahead of everyone else when you arrive! |
The 100's of riders who participated in this charity ride last year made it a huge success and we expect it to be even bigger this year!
We will be raffling off a unique Harley Davidson Fat Boy with the custom US Marine Corp detailing! More details and images to come!
NEW! Buy and Sell on ebay to Benefit Homes for Our Troops!
ebay Giving Works is the dedicated program for charity listings where you can sell items on ebay to support Homes for Our Troops!
Click here to learn how to sell your own items on ebay to benefit Homes for Our Troops. Step-by-step instructions on how to get started selling on ebay!
Visit the official Homes for Our Troops eBay Store and bid on donated items to support Homes for Our Troops!
 Visit our new ebay store now!
More Veterans Need Your Help
Your donations have allowed us to complete or undertake 19 projects, but there are many more veterans needing
assistance. And we continue to receive applications for assistance from veterans that have experienced traumatic
injuries that will change their lives forever. We can only help them if you continue to support our mission with your continued generosity. We have enclosed a return envelope and a donation slip for your convenience. Please don’t delay - consider donating today. By mail or online, we offer a variety of methods for you to donate.
Click this link to view all of our giving opportunities.
You are invited to check out our ALL NEW website! We've added features and functionality to keep you informed, engaged and coming back for more! View new website now!
In honor of Memorial Day we give you the opportunity to create your own Tribute or Memorial web page to honor a loved one and in your own words, ask others for donations to Homes for Our Troops in honor of the person you choose. Easy to use! Create your page Now!
Visit our new ebay store!
Send a Free Memorial Day eCard!
Send free eCards to your family and friends to help us get the word out about Homes for Our Troops! Choose from several different patriotic designs!
Start Now!
For more information or to contribute, call 866-7-TROOPS or visit our website at http://www.homesforourtroops.org/.
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