Generosity Of CBS4 Viewers Helps WWII Veteran Get Much-Needed New Roof
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PALMETTO BAY (CBSMiami) – There have been big developments in the ongoing story of an elderly war veteran who was in desperate need of roof repair.
This is an update on an exclusive story brought to you by CBS4 earlier this month.
It was the generosity of CBS4 News viewers that helped make it happen.
Donations started pouring in, and the fix was finally in for 94-year-old Leo McLarney.
"That's pretty nice of them," he said.
At just 19 years old, McLarney, a Pearl Harbor survivor, he fought in the battle of Guadalcanal, but for two long years with the help of his children had been fighting for assistance to get his roof repaired after it was damaged by Hurricane Irma.
The storm left gaping holes, mold and whole host of other issues.
"We kinda like gave up and figured this is the way it's gonna stay, we didn't have the funds to repair the roof or fix it or replace it so it would have been back to more blue tarps," said daughter Gloria Zack.
Now, no more blue tarps, it's a blessing come true said Zack.
"This is something we never thought was going to happen," she said.
McLarney requires 24-hour care, which is where most of his income goes, but Zack says now her Father will be able to stay in home and that means the world to all them.
"My Father is in there grinning from ear to ear," she said.
Smiling even though his daughter's he never quite got why so many people would be interested in helping out an old man, but if you ask him, ever the sense of humor, his response?
"They owe me!" he said.
He knows deep down, he deserves it.
There's still work to be done, there are still questions about mold in the home and other needed repairs, so there is still time to help. If you'd like to help go to neighbors for neighbors.org and select "other" in the designation field and "Veteran Leo."