NH Veteran Seriously Wounded In Iraq Gets New Home
HOPKINTON, NH (CBS) – Army Staff Sgt.. Matt DeWitt received a hero's welcome home Saturday, eleven years after he served in Iraq.
He's been back a long time, but now he has a brand new home in Hopkinton, New Hampshire for his wife and two boys.
DeWitt was badly wounded during a firefight in 2003; the injuries required the amputation of both of his arms from the elbow down. The new house includes many features designed to make life a bit easier, including sensor activated faucets.
The house was built by Homes for Our Troops, a Massachusetts based organization that builds homes for wounded veterans nationwide.
"This is the first of ten homes we'll deliver to wounded warriors between now and Christmas," said Gen. Richard Cody of Homes for Our Troops. "We call it homes for holidays."
Dozens of community volunteers also pitched in and the local Home Depot donated supplies.
The effort will be featured on the PBS show "This Old House" next spring.
"It has been a real honor for 'This Old House' to play a small part in this so congratulations," host Kevin O'Connor said.
DeWitt doesn't let his injuries slow him down. He's an avid bicyclist, but the specially designed home will definitely change his life.
"Everything's adapted for me to use here," DeWitt told WBZ-TV.
"It will make life a lot easier, smoother, less stress for me."
"Its been overwhelming the support, everyone's so great and nice it's amazing that it happened," Matt's wife Catrina said.
Homes for Our Troops has built 169 houses for injured veterans in 33 different states.
The organization has a list of more than 80 other wounded vets that they have promised to build homes for.
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