A home for a wounded hero

CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A wounded West Virginia veteran received the gift of a lifetime Wednesday. Ret. Staff Sgt. Bruce Burgess now has a home to call his own, becoming the first West Virginia recipient of the Military Warriors Support Foundation’s “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes.”

Ret. Major General Leroy Sisco made the announcement at Haddad Riverfront Park in Charleston on Wednesday morning.

 “Hey, I kind of have not been shooting straight with you,” Sisco told Burgess. “We’re going to give you a home, buddy!”

Burgess’s response, “Oh my!”

The retired staff sergeant served in Iraq and Afghanistan during his time in the Army. He suffered traumatic brain injuries from numerous IED blasts that also impacted his vision, which he calls “reduced.”

A longtime supporter of the “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” program, Burgess has encouraged other veterans to apply for the program for years.

“I’ve followed this foundation for a very long time, making referrals to other veterans across the country,” Burgess told the crowd. “I believe a lot in the program. I advocate it and urge others to apply, and I can’t say thanks enough.”

He, his wife and three children will now have a home in Martinsburg, where he works and attends Shepherd University. The home is completely paid for and renovated to meet the needs of Burgess and his family. He said they chose Martinsburg because it’s close to Washington, D.C., and the Defense Vision Center of Excellence where he hopes to receive treatment for his deteriorating eyesight.

“The pressures of supporting my family prohibited me [in the past] from having the time to access the in-patient or long term health options,” Burgess said. “This will take the financial pressure off me.”

Burgess, a native of Dunbar, hopes he is just the first of many wounded heroes who receive a home through the program.

Sisco announced during the event that “Homes 4 Wounded Heroes” plans to build 300 homes this year for veterans and 500 homes for Gold Star recipients.