Wounded war hero receives home Published April 12, 2011 By Senior Airman Anne Gathua 17th Training Wing Public Affairs GOODFELLOW AIR FORCE BASE, Texas -- Watching your new home being built is often a memorable event - a moment that often realizes long-held dreams. For Retired Lance Cpl. Samuel Marley and his family, breaking ground on their new home Saturday was something they couldn't have imagined. Armed with shovels and hard hats, he and his wife, Jaci Marley, joined members of Operation FINALLY HOME, Home Builders Association of San Angelo and Clark Construction to break ground on a 2,000-square-foot, custom-built and mortgage-free home. "I never dreamed in my life that I would be given the opportunity to have a home for me and my family. This is amazing to me," said Lance Corporal Marley. Lance Corporal Marley was injured in Iraq on Nov. 3, 2007, and was emergency evacuated to Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where he was treated for burns and other extensive injuries. He stayed at Brooke Army Medical Center until he was medically retired from the Marine Corps on Sept. 29, 2009. Operation FINALLY HOME was created by Bay Area Builders Association Support Our Troops, a non-profit organization established in 2005. The organization builds custom-made, mortgage-free homes to wounded and disabled veterans and the widows of the fallen to help get their lives back on track and become productive members of their communities. According to Operation FINALLY HOME, the organization partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, builders, developers, individual contributors and volunteers to help severely wounded service members and their families' transition from the battlefront to the home front and help them succeed in their challenging new world so they may ultimately enjoy a productive and rewarding life. The ceremony was also attended by San Angelo dignitaries and community members. For more information, call 325-949-0140 or visit http://www.babasupport.org or http://www.OperationFinallyHomeSanAngelo.com.
