Giving Thanks — and Homes — to Wounded Vets
Volunteers build new houses for military heroes who have sacrificed so much.
Simply Google “Joey Bozik” and read the pages that result without developing a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. Go ahead. I dare you.
Sgt. Bozik, a soldier who served in Afghanistan and then Iraq, awoke in Walter Reed Army Medical Center on October 27, 2004, missing both legs and his right arm after an anti-tank mine ripped his Humvee apart. After grasping the extent of his injuries and the long recovery ahead of him, he wanted time to be alone with his fiancée, Jayme Peters. He told her he wasn’t the same man, that the road ahead would be long and hard, and that this isn’t what she thought she was getting when they got engaged. He gave her the option to go.
On October 27, 2008, under a crisp blue Carolina sky, I watched Joey Bozik step out of a long, black Hummer limousine on man-made legs. Standing beside him was Jayme, the woman who married him just a month after he said she could go. She is currently pregnant with their first child, a little girl due Christmas Eve. The Boziks were coming home, but what brought them to this home is a story of giving thanks that is heartwarming in and of itself.
The greater metropolitan area of Raleigh, Durham, and Chapel Hill (and the small towns around and between them) has long been known as the “Triangle,” one of the fastest-growing parts of North Carolina. Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans (TREACV) is a group of military veterans in the building and land trade. Among the reasons they came together is a desire to help newly disabled veterans of our current wars get low-cost housing. TREACV joined with the Wake County Homebuilders Association, which was charting a parallel path, and Operation: Coming Home was born in the spirit of honoring those that gave so much.
Page 1 of 2 Next ->
Bob Owens blogs at Confederate Yankee.
 |
 |
 |
Podcasts |  PJM Home |
Pajamas Media appreciates your comments that abide by the following guidelines:
1. Avoid profanities or foul language unless it is contained in a necessary quote or is relevant to the comment.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Disagree, but avoid ad hominem attacks.
4. Threats are treated seriously and reported to law enforcement.
5. Spam and advertising are not permitted in the comments area.
The clause regarding "hate speech" has been deleted because readers criticized it as being too loosely defined. We agreed.
These guidelines are very general and cannot cover every possible situation. Please don't assume that Pajamas Media management agrees with or otherwise endorses any particular comment. We reserve the right to filter or delete comments or to deny posting privileges entirely at our discretion. If you feel your comment was filtered inappropriately, please email us at story@pajamasmedia.com.
3 Comments
1. Elaine:This is just one of the reasons I love this country and the many people who are blessed and able to give to our heroes for the sacrifices that we should never forget. The Bozik house is built in the city that I was born. I thank you for what you all have done for the Boziks. Great state, great community and great people.
Nov 27, 2008 - 2:55 pm 2. BMoon:I second that, Elaine.
I also appreciate PJM’s editors for the mentioning of the war vets, especialy the disabled ones on this day. They were on my mind all day long, and here at night, I open my favorite blog and there they are mentioned in several articles. LOVE IT, LOVE IT. It expresses the very heart of who we are as Americans – fighters for freedom, and compassionate to the core.
Nov 27, 2008 - 8:24 pm 3. rjbjrirish:This is just another example of why the USA is the greatest country in the history of our planet – our people.
Nov 28, 2008 - 9:47 am