SCOTT TWP. - Much like in July, police and fire department vehicles led Earl Granville in a hero's escort to his property again on Saturday.
Only this time, the Purple Heart Army veteran had a new house waiting for him.
After months of volunteers donating materials, expertise and labor, a crowd of elected officials, veterans, public safety workers, friends and family joined former Army Staff Sgt. Granville for a ceremony where he received keys to his home.
Organized through the nonprofit organization Homes for Our Troops, Mr. Granville's house has 165 different features adapted for people with disabilities. Mr. Granville lost a leg and received other injuries during his third deployment in Afghanistan in 2008, when his vehicle ran over a roadside bomb.
Even worse, he also lost his twin brother, a fellow soldier who committed suicide two years ago. What makes Mr. Granville a hero in many people's eyes isn't just his loss. It's how he has decided to cope.
He visits with other soldiers, discussing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and how it is all right to ask for help. Among the crowd at Mr. Granville's house Saturday was Staff Sgt. Eric Darling, resilience and suicide intervention trainer for the Army National Guard. He said the wounded soldier's attitude and experience makes him a hero.
"He's an example that you can go through adversity and keep going forward," Sgt. Darling said.
Since the Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops began in 2004, it has provided homes for 100 disabled veterans in 35 states, including Mr. Granville's home and six others this week. Ken Preston, president of Homes for Our Troops, said 80 percent of the materials and labor was donated.
While the house had little furniture inside besides a Christmas tree, a U-Haul moving truck parked outside would soon change that. Until then, Mr. Granville visited with his houseguests.
"I really feel like I'm home," he said.
Standing a few steps away, Ken Kurt, whose construction company served as general contractor for the project, said he felt strongly about making Mr. Granville's home a reality.
"I enjoy my freedom and don't take it for granted," he said. "It's a great feeling to know I could help a wounded veteran."
Contact the writer: rward@timesshamrock.com, @rwardTT on Twitter.