Marine Corporal Brandon Rumbaugh has a lot going on between school and qualifying for the Paralympic Games in weightlifting. Soon Brandon will have a home specially adapted by Homes for Our Troops (HFOT), ),a national nonprofit, non-partisan organization, to his needs that will make life "a lot less stressful" as he continues to chase and achieve his dreams. Learn more about Cpl Rumbaugh’s story at www.hfotusa.org/rumbaugh.
Corporal Rumbaugh’s home and the other homesare built by HFOT at no cost to the veteran through the support of individuals, foundations, and corporate contributors. Armstrong, as the exclusive flooring supplier to HFOT, has provided floors for the Rumbaugh home and Armstrong distributor Ohio Valley Flooring (OVF) will be donating 50 percent of the flooring for this build. OVF ‘s Rick Young attended the groundbreaking, along with local retailer Barry Faris from Faris Carpets in Uniontown, PA, who also is generously donating time and services.
“We at Faris Carpet are honored to help out our local disabled veterans. We are thankful for what he has done for our country,” says Faris.
"I am honored to be a part of this project. It is satisfying to help Cpl. Rumbaugh in any way," adds Rick Young, sales representative, Ohio Valley Flooring.
Marine Corporal Brandon Rumbaugh was on his second deployment when he lost both of his legs in an IED blast in Helmand Province, Afghanistan on November 29, 2010. Just returned to an outpost from a combat patrol with the 1st Battalion, 8th Marines, Cpl Rumbaugh was responding to the scene of an IED blast involving one of his good friends just outside the compound. Carrying a stretcher, and rushing with his team to aid the injured Marine, Brandon stepped on a second IED resulting in the traumatic amputations of his right leg at the hip and his left leg below the knee. Medically evacuated by helicopter, Cpl Rumbaugh was treated at Camp Bastion before being airlifted to Landstuhl, Germany. Next he was transferred to Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC in Bethesda, Maryland, spending a total of 18 months receiving treatments and therapies.
When asked what he would say to thank the volunteers who are working to help make his home possible Brandon shared the following: “I am looking forward to getting my life back to normal and words cannot express how grateful I am to Homes for Our Troops and those who support this amazing organization. I will be able to wake up in my own home every day and carry out my duties as a loyal American citizen. Thank you for giving me the chance to regain my freedom and independence in my own home.”
The efforts of Homes for Our Troops take millions of dollars of ongoing donations to build homes for veterans in need. There are hundreds of service member who will be needing its help from across the country and more coming home each day with life-altering injuries sustained while fighting for our freedom.
