Injured Army sergeant gets keys to mortgage-free home
LAND O' LAKES (FOX 13) - U.S. Army Sgt David Roca earned many awards during his call of duty. Now retired, the decorated wounded veteran was awarded one more today: the keys to a new mortgage-free home.
Sgt. Roca deployed to Iraq shortly after enlisting in the army in 2004. While there he earned numerous awards including the valor device military decoration, which he received for saving his commander's life in battle.
But traumatic brain injuries suffered while serving cut Roca’s combat career short. He medically retired in 2008 and continues to suffer the ongoing effects of his injuries while trying to raise three children as a single father.
That's when Operation Finally Home stepped in. The non-profit provides custom-built, mortgage-free home to American military heroes and the widows of fallen soldiers. Their mission: help our troops and their families transition to the home front by addressing one of their biggest needs.
"This home enables them to live without a mortgage so that they can spend the money they might spend on a mortgage on education, on their children's education, or in other ways to help them move forward with their lives," said Operation Finally Home Construction VP Lee Kirgan.
Roca, who left college to join the Army, says he plans to invest the money he'll save on mortgage payments into a brighter future for himself and his kids.
"I want to go back to school. That's my goal, but for my children, that's the number one goal: to be able to pay for their education," said Roca.
To learn more about Operation Finally Home, visit https://www.operationfinallyhome.org/u-s-army-sgt-david-roca/.