A veteran of the United States Marine Corps whose home burned down earlier this year received the gift of a lifetime for Christmas in the form of a brand-new tiny house.
According to the Associated Press, Hoy M. Young Jr.’s house burned to the ground on September 22, and he escaped with only his life and a lungful of smoke.
‘I was rather hoarse for a week after the fire,’ he claimed.Young joined the Marine Corps in the early 1970s,
as the Vietnam War was coming to a close.’He stated, ‘I’ve always loved my nation.’ It appeared to be the proper action to take.
Young served in the Marines for the next eight years, spending some time overseas until completing his military service at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia.
Young, who had earned the rank of staff sergeant before leaving the military in 1979, went to his home state of West Virginia and founded FedEx distribution centers in several cities.
Young’s health, including repeated strokes and a heart attack, began to deteriorate in recent years after a lengthy period of good fortune. When his home burned down, the situation became much more dire.
’I lived here for 14 years, which is the longest I’ve ever lived in one place,’ Young remarked as he stood where his home formerly stood.
A few days after the fire, Young’s neighbors got concerned when they discovered that he was still living in the cab of his truck on the site where his home once stood.
After learning that he had no intention of relocating, they gave him a tent, which a local clergyman eventually upgraded to a travel trailer.
Good Samaritans from the neighborhood helped Young over the next few months by bringing him bottles of drinking water and a portable toilet, as there was no electricity or running water.
Jesse Boggs, the founder of Vision Appalachia, a faith-based community help and development group, had acquired a partially constructed small house during this time.
Robert Morris University had begun the house as a veterans’ outreach project, but it had languished in a warehouse for nearly two years.
Boggs, a retired clergyman, explained, ‘With the assistance of surgeons John Stakeley and Marcel Minutolo at Robert Morris, we were commissioned by the university to build this little home for a deserving soldier.’
Boggs felt that Young was the ideal recipient for the tiny house after speaking with him, and the board of Vision Appalachia concurred.
‘Our goal was to have the tiny house ready for occupancy by Christmas,’Boggs explained.Earlier this month, the house was transported to Young’s land, and Boggs was there to present him the keys.
Boggs stated as he guided Young to the door, ‘Many Vietnam-era soldiers say ‘Welcome home’ when they greet each other because
they did not receive a warm welcome when they initially returned home.’ ’So, welcome back, pal. Here is your new residence.’
This extraordinary gesture of generosity rendered Young dumbfounded.Young responded, ‘I’m speechless.’ ’It’s gorgeous. I’ve never seen so much generosity in my entire life.’
‘God loves you,’ Boggs remarked. This is why we are here.’