Florida Veteran Receives Home For The Holidays
Naples, Fla.- Just in time to celebrate the holidays, Army Sergeant Brent Hernandez, his wife, Katy, and two children will move into their new, custom-renovated and mortgage-free home on Sat., Dec. 14. Building Homes for Heroes, a national non-profit, non-partisan 501(c)(3) organization, and its partners, Chase bank and Manhattan Construction, will host a homecoming celebration for the Hernandez family at the family’s new home located in Naples, Fla., marking the organization’s 17th new or renovated, fully-financed home donated to severely wounded or disabled soldiers in 2013.
Sgt. Hernandez was deployed to the Zabuil Province of Afghanistan with the 75th Ranger Regiment on March 28, 2010. A mere 13 days into his deployment, Hernandez was severely wounded when his aircraft, an Air Force CV-22 Osprey tilt-rotor, crashed. The pilot, flight engineer, an Army ranger, and a civilian contract employee were killed, while 16 others were wounded. Hernandez, who was unconscious and suspended by his safety line, sustained critical injuries including ripped intestines through his abdominal wall, three small bowel resections, two traumatic hernias, oblique muscles ripped in half and separated from his spine, three fractured ribs, a collapsed lung, two fractured vertebras, traumatic brain injury, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
During his service, Sgt. Hernandez earned the Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medial (2x), National Defense Service Ribbon, Global War on Terrorism Ribbon, Army Service Ribbon, Army Ranger Tab, Combat Infantry Badge, and the Army Parachutist Badge.
“We are thrilled to be able to gift this home to the Hernandez family in time to celebrate the holiday season,” stated Andy Pujol, president of Building Homes for Heroes. “Very special thanks to our amazing partnership with Chase, and our newest partner, Manhattan Construction, for providing us with the support necessary to continue gifting mortgage-free homes to the brave men and women of the military.“
Locals are invited to attend Sgt. Hernandez’s homecoming celebration, where he and his family will be recognized for their tremendous dedication along with the organizations and volunteers who contributed to the home’s renovation. Following a procession and formal ceremony, Sgt. Hernandez will be presented with the keys to enter his new home that supportive community members and volunteers have even decorated for the holidays.
Founded in 2006, Building Homes for Heroes celebrated 17 new homes donated in ten states in
2013. The organization is on track to donate 25 homes in 2014.
For more information about Building Homes for Heroes, please visit