House of Heroes builds ramp for Pine Mountain veteran

PINE MOUNTAIN, Ga. (WTVM) - House of Heroes, a local organization, is continuing to honor veterans.

Saturday morning, the organization teamed up River of Life Church to make some home repairs for a veteran couple who lives in Pine Mountain.

Six acres of land, the beginning of a new life filled with many memories and more to come.

“This house is everything,” said Veteran Basil Garcia. “I’ll be buried right up the street. That’s how important this house is to me.”

Former Sergeant Garcia served eight years in the U.S. Army where he met the love of his life, former U.S. Army specialist Maria Garcia.

When Sgt. Garcia completed his war tour, he created the home for his family in Pine Mountain while stationed at Fort Benning.

“It was a one-bedroom house when we got it and we have extended it out since we’ve had kids and put a living room in it - didn’t have one of those and just piece by piece, saving money here and there,” he recalled. “You’re standing on what used to be just weeds and trees, but we did it - her and I did it by hand.”

While Garcia was able to come back from the war with love, he also came back with something a little less loving, multiple sclerosis.

“It was something with the chemicals in Desert Storm and eventually he won’t be able to walk,” said Maria Garcia. “It affects all the nerves. So, eventually, he won’t be able to walk and this will be a great help for me.”

The Garcia’s built a front deck with stairs for the doorway, but over time the deck aged, making it dangerous to walk on.

“I would have drug myself in off those stairs, but I fell recently which is why I have this little kick stand at the moment,” Veteran Garcia said. “But yeah, it’s deteriorating and they told me I wasn’t going to walk sooner than I have and I’m still walking.

Now, thanks to House of Heroes and River of Life Church, when the time comes for Garcia to potentially lose his ability to walk, he will have a safe ramp and deck to cross into his home.

“I am actually very thrilled that she is going to be able to get my sorry butt up there,” he said.

The Garcia’s said Saturdays repairs were more than what they could imagine.

This project is part of House of Heroes’ “Redeeming the Block Campaign” where they’re honoring veterans by making home repairs.

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