North Texas veteran who was wounded in Iraq gifted home built for his needs
CEDAR HILL, Texas - A veteran in Cedar Hill received a gift of a custom home that was built for his specific needs.
Homes for Our Troops is an organization that donates homes for wounded veterans.
On Saturday, about 60 volunteers helped the non-profit get Marine Corporal Raymond Hennagir III’s home ready by laying down sod.
"It allows me to actually utilize all the space in the kitchen, being able to have the countertops at a lower height makes it easier for me for prepping food and making food. The roll under for the sinks and all that makes it easy," Hennagir said.
"Homes for Our Troops, they’re very particular. They’ve got everything laid out. Joe comes out from Homes for Our Troops and they measure everything and it had to be spot on," said Stoney Short, owner of Mansfield Custom Homes.
Hennagir lost both his limbs and several fingers on his left hand while on his second deployment in Iraq in 2007.
He underwent 50 surgeries, but the rush to get them all completed was worth it.
"I would go to surgery, take like a day break, and then go back into surgery," he recalled. "But it was all for the end goal of being at my platoon’s homecoming, which I was able to make. So that was a lot of pain and a lot of like, anguish, but all worth it in the end when I was able to welcome my guys back home."
Featured
Volunteers repair North Texas veteran's home
James Enochs, a disabled veteran, spent years serving as a combat photographer in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Last week volunteers worked to make James and his wife Linda's home safer.
After he got wounded, Hennagir started to re-evaluate, then got involved in sports.
"Once I got wounded, I thought like, I have no legs. I have no hand, like what am I going to do?" he recalled.
It was a recreational therapist that introduced Hennagir to wheelchair basketball. He then played for the University of Texas at Arlington and USA men’s rugby team
"I tried out for USA for rugby. I made the team, was able, was fortunate enough to be selected in 2021 to go to Tokyo for the Paralympics. So I was able to enjoy that and it was an amazing experience," Hennagir said.
Last year, he got offered a contract to play in a professional basketball league in Greece.
Meanwhile, Hennagir is looking forward to his new home, which he gets the keys to on September 30.
"It's a very selfless and they're all about serving veterans and doing the best they can for the veterans that they help out, and it's amazing," he added.