Stephen Herzog

SHERZOG@NEWS-LEADER.COM

GREENFIELD — It was September 2003 when Sgt. Derick Hurt was driving an Humvee while on patrol in Mosul, Iraq. His unit was ambushed and a grenade was thrown inside his vehicle, landing between his feet.

"It took my right leg off immediately," Hurt said, choking back tears. "And it messed up my left leg."

He eventually lost the left leg and spent more than a year in Walter Reed Army Medical Center, undergoing more than 20 surgeries, before coming home.

But the house Hurt came home to didn't exactly offer a hero's welcome. It wasn't designed to accommodate someone in a wheelchair.

"I realized how hard it was to live in a house you couldn't get around in," Hurt said.

He spent what money he had to make adjustments, but it still wasn't enough — getting from one side of his house to the other was a struggle, if not impossible.

Then, out of the blue, Hurt received a call he thought was a prank.

"The person said, "We want to build you a house.' Click," he said mimicking the sound of a phone hanging up. But it turned out to be a case of bad cell service, and when the Helping a Hero program called back, they explained their mission, and that they really did want to give Hurt a house he could call a home.

The organization, which builds homes for severely wounded veterans, held a ceremony Sunday on the land which will soon hold a four-bedroom house that will feature wider doors, wider hallways, flush entryways, roll-in shower, roll-under sink, adapted toilet areas and other safety features.

Sam Clifton of Millstone Custom Homes agreed to build the home, which is expected to be completed in six to nine months.

Sen. Roy Blunt also was on hand to mark the occasion.

He said he spoke to a woman today who knows the Hurt family, including Derick's wife, Stephanie, and their daughter, Bella.

"She said you're going to like them," Blunt said. "They're fun and they figure out how to make the best out of life."

While Hurt spends most of his time in a wheelchair, he's also learned to walk on prosthetic legs, as he did Sunday for the ground breaking.

Those who know Derick spoke of his unmatched determination. Meredith Iler, the National Chairman of the Helping a Hero Home Program, told the story of how the land was prepared for Sunday's event.

She said Helping a Hero usually finds a crew to clear land in preparation for these events, but in this case, the driveway and space used for the ceremony was all mowed by Hurt.

About 100 people were in attendance and support of Hurt, one of Greenfield's own, who returned home to raise a family.

In 2000, Hurt decided to enlist in the U.S. Army. For his service, he was awarded the Purple Heart, Army Accommodation Medal, and Army Achievement Medal.