Who We Help
PROJECT COMPLETED: See the Photo Gallery of this home built in Middleboro, MA for Sgt. Peter Damon and his family
 SGT Peter Damon Southeastern, MA
SGT Damon of the Massachusetts National Guard, his wife Jenn and two children Allura and Danny were the recipients of the very first specially adapted home built by Homes For Our Troops. Peter has been instrumental in helping spread the word about Homes for Our Troops and its mission as well as shedding light on the serious needs of other wounded service men and women once they return home from war.
PROJECT COMPLETED: See the Photo Gallery of this home that was completed demolished and built back up in 7 days with the help of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!
 MSG Luis Rodriquez Northwestern, TN
MSG Luis 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
PROJECT COMPLETED: See the Photo Gallery of this home remodeled in one weekend with the help of ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition!
 CPL Bobby Isaacs Northcentral, NC
Cpl. Bobby Isaacs, 2nd Brigade, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, KY, joined the armed forces after 9/11 and was deployed to Iraq in spring of 2003. Ten months later, Isaacs' life changed forever when a roadside bomb ripped apart his convoy as it traveled near Mosul."It shattered all the bones and severed my femoral artery, and I bled out," he said. "I think they lost me a couple of times, actually."
Cpl Isaacs initially was given an imminent death retirement because he wasn’t expected to recover from his injuries.
After 37 operations, Isaacs has decided he wants to go to college so he can work with amputees. “I want to use my situation in a positive way,” said Isaacs. “I can share my experience to help somebody.”
Homes for Our Troops is helping Cpl. Isaacs acheive his dreams for the future.
Staff SGT Eugene Simpson Northern, VA
 Staff Sgt. Eugene Simpson, the 27-year-old husband and father, was severely injured when an IED exploded near his vehicle in Tikrit, Iraq. Eugene is from Dale City, VA. That blast sent shrapnel into his stomach and shoulder, shattered bones in both legs and feet, and partially severed his spinal cord, paralyzing him from the waist down.
Read an article from Stars and Strips about Staff Sgt. Simpson UPDATE:After a long search, we've finally purchased a home for SSG Simpson and will be adapting it soon.
If you are a contractor or a potential donor that would like to get involved with SSG Simpson's project, please contact Kirt Rebello with your information.
CWO Juan Beltran Southern, CA
Chief Warrant Officer Juan Beltran, a husband and father, 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 details on CWO Beltran's project page.
PFC Sam Ross Dunbar, PA
PFC Ross, a combat engineer with the 82nd Airborne Division, was wounded on May 18, 2003, while disposing of munitions that were wounding and killing Iraqi children in a 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 details on Pfc. Ross's project page.
SPC Russell Kyle Burleson Springhill, LA
 SPC Russell Kyle Burleson of the 1st Cavalry Division was critically wounded in a firefight, Sadr City, Iraq, August 18, 2004 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 a quadriplegic. Kyle and his family are in immediate need of our help and we are moving quickly to help them get in to a home. Kyle, his wife and two children are currently living in one bedroom of Kyle's mother's house, and they need our help now!
View the details on SPC Burleson's project page.
HM3 Joe Dan "Doc" Worley Douglasville, GA
 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.
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has pledged a $20,000 donation
towards this project.
View the details on HM3 Worley's project page.
 Cpl. Brian Johnston, USMC North Central, CT
 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.
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has pledged a $20,000 donation towards this project. Check back soon for more information and progress reports!
View the details on Sgt. Johnston's project page.
Sgt. Jared Luce, USMC North Central, CT
 Sgt. Jared Luce, USMCR, from the 6th Motor Transport, 4th FSSG out of New Haven, CT was attached to the 1st TSB, 1st FSSG in Iraq. While driving the maintence 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. However, 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.
Jared and Melanie have just purchased land for their project, the land clearing and site work has begun and we will begin building their home soon.
The Injured Marine Semper Fi Fund has pledged a $20,000 donation towards this project.
View the details on Sgt. Luce's project page.
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. SPC Benoit has spent the past six months at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, undergoing 77 operations to repair wounds that he has suffered.
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 the details on SPC Benoit's project page.
SGT Eric Edmundson New Bern, NC
On October 2, 2005 the Stryker vehicle he was driving hit an IED (improvised explosive device). Eric sustained serious injuries and was eventually airlifted to Germany.
Eric's injuries sustained from the blast were shrapnel wounds to his abdomen (which required the removal of his spleen), and right leg, and fracture of the T4, T5 vertebrae.
While awaiting transport to Germany, Eric went into cardiac arrest and was able to be revived. Because of the time taken to revive Eric, he has sustained an anoxic brain injury.
Due to the anoxic brain injury, Eric currently can not walk, talk, eat or drink. These are things he will hopefully be able to regain with medical technology, therapy and time
Homes for Our Troops will be building Sgt. Edmundsun a handicap accessible home in New Bern, NC.
View the details on SGT Eric Edmundon's project page
SSG John Bennett Central, MT
 SSG John Bennett, Charlie Company, 163rd Mechanized Infantry Unit, Montana, USANG, was shot in the stomach by a sniper and left paralyzed from the waiste-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 the details on SSG John Bennett's project page
SPC Pisey Tan Philadephia, PA
 SPC. Pisey Tan lost both legs while serving in Iraq. Homes for Our Troops will be buidling Cpl. Pisey a house in partnership with the McKee Group, out of Philidelphia, PA.
Pisey's Story
Last August, U.S. Army Cpl. Pisey Tan lay in a road in Samara, Iraq, watching in disbelief as his destroyed legs were tied with tourniquets to stem the blood gushing from them. An IED - improvised explosive device - had torn through the side of the Bradley Fighting Vehicle he'd been driving, nearly shearing his legs from his body.
Image: Pisey Tan with Bob Whalen of the McKee Group
View the details on Pisey's project page
Sgt. Christopher Fesmire Colorado
 Sgt. Fesmire's Story
Marine Sgt. Christopher Fesmire, who was medically retired from the 1st Marine Division after an anti-tank mine left him a double above-the-knee amputee in October 2004, said it's evident to him that Americans from all corners share the fireman's sentiment and support the troops. "It's from everybody," he said. "I've been finding that across the board people are supportive."
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 the details on Sgt. Christopher Fesmire's project page
SGT Shawn Monroe Santa Fe, TX
SGT Shawn Monroe was injured when mortar fire hit while he was waiting outside a Baghdad police station.
He was studying to be a teacher. After being injured fighting the war in Iraq, he now has to learn something else…how to use his new leg.
Homes for Our Troops will be providing a home for Shawn, his wife and 3 young children in the Santa Fe, TX area.
View the details on SGT Shawn Monroe's project page
|
