JUPITER, Fla. — A national organization is paying it forward to local veterans. On Saturday morning, Homes For Our Troops presented a custom specially-adapted home for a wounded veteran and his family.
“Honestly, this is a dream,” said Michael Montange, Army Staff Sergeant. “I never thought people would go out of their way to do such a thing.”
Montange is a wounded veteran who lost his left leg from an improvised explosive device (IED) in Iraq.
Congressman Brian Mast gifted Montange an American flag to raise over his home.
“It was a purposeful choice by you to raise your hand and volunteer, go into a war zone, defend this country and risk your life and your limb,” said Mast. “I couldn’t be more proud to have you as a brother and to have you as a part of our community.”
Living in an RV for over a year, Montange said he never had a home that fit his needs.
“Outside of this house, it doesn’t exist,” said Montange. “It’s ridiculous and you think about how many buildings we can actually get into that exist in the world today. 90% of them we can’t get into.”
Inside his new custom home, everything is lower and more accessible.
“It’s just amazing,” said Montange. “I mean sometimes you’re like why, because you don’t feel like you’re really deserving of such things and here we are.”
President and CEO of Homes For Our Troops, Tom Landwermeyer, said this is our duty as American citizens.
“It’s our country’s responsibility to take care of him,” said Landwermeyer. “He was loving his time in. He was loving the camaraderie of being with his brothers and sisters down range and doing what the nation asked them to do.”
Montange said it’s more than a house. He said it is a home.
“There isn’t any amount of words I can say in gratitude for what they’ve done here,” said Montange.
