Army Mom, veteran takes care of other veterans

Returning soldiers get healing Homestead from mother of 3 war veterans
By Rick Leventhal
Published August 22, 2012
FoxNews.com

When America launched the war on Iraq in 2003, Adam Morse was a specialist with the U.S. Army, driving a wrecker, towing damaged Humvees and other heavy equipment out of Nazaria and other combat zones.

He was just 17, and still in high school, when he joined the National Guard in 1999.

His dad had to sign the paperwork for him, and Adam says he never expected he'd be in battle.

After he came home, Adam says the weight of his experiences and lack of understanding by the civilians around him led him to abuse alcohol and drugs.

He got married and bought a home, but his addiction grew so bad he wound up losing the house and growing estranged from his wife and three young children. Then he found Veteran Homestead, got sober and turned his life around.

"Yesterday was 11 months for me, and I couldn't get 11 minutes before" Adam said of his newfound sobriety. "It was bad… so this place has, I believe, saved my life and … saved my family."

Veteran Homestead is a community of 20 two-bedroom, one bath homes on 10 wooded acres in central Massachusetts designed to help young men and women having difficulties recovering from their service in Iraq or Afghanistan. The facility has a clubhouse-like rehabilitation center with state-of-the-art equipment, including a gym, wave pool and therapy room. There's even a pool table that provides recreation and also can help improve hand-eye coordination.

The Homestead was built by Leslie Lightfoot, a former Army medic who spent three years at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany during the Vietnam War. Leslie has three children who've all done multiple tours in Iraq or Afghanistan and has dedicated her life to helping service members struggling with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Traumatic Brain Injury or war-related substance abuse issues.
read more here