A U.S. Army veteran and his family are enjoying a home that the nonprofit group Homes for Our Troops gifted them in Pea Ridge, Arkansas.
Sgt. Andrew Butterworth is looking forward to building an even better future with his family in their specially adapted home that has been added to the list of 385 houses the organization has built and given to veterans, 4029 TV reported Sunday.
“To finally be here and to finally be in the home is amazing. This is going to do so much for us to be able to move and get around and give the kids room to run and play. It’ll all set in, I’m sure, in a few more days. But it’s kind of overwhelming right now,” he said, per 5 News.
An image shows the family enjoying the ribbon-cutting ceremony on their front porch:
As a child, Butterworth heard stories from his grandparents, who served during World War II. He later enlisted with the 82nd Airborne Division and served on active duty for four years. He eventually joined the North Carolina Army National Guard as an Infantryman, the organization’s website read:
On Nov. 15, 2004, Sergeant Butterworth was on patrol in Northern Iraq with C Company, 1st Battalion, 120th Infantry Regiment, 30th Armored Brigade Combat Team, when two rocket propelled grenades (RPGs) struck his vehicle. SGT Butterworth lost his right leg and sustained a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the blast.
Shortly after he was injured, Andrew told his father he wasn’t going to let the injury stop him and was determined to keep going. Nearly 18 years later, he has kept true to his word and has become a certified sky-diver and plays wheelchair softball. He also enjoys riding motorcycles and this interest is what led him to his wife, Julia, who was born missing a leg.
Although there is not a lot of furniture in the home at present, the family loves the house and cannot wait to begin their life there. As an additional honor, Mayor Nathan See gave the veteran a key to the city of Pea Ridge.
Butterworth shared his deep gratitude for the home, stating, “Thank you for this amazing opportunity, which will fill the daily needs of our family and give my wife and I the ability to have a home that will enable us to focus on our family and health.”
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