Texans, volunteers present Marine widow with new home

Texans, volunteers present Marine widow with new home
by Kevin Reece
KHOU 11 News
Posted on October 30, 2012

HOUSTON—The widow of a fallen Marine received the keys and a mortgage-free deed to her new home in Alvin Tuesday.

It fulfilled a promise made by the Houston Texans and a home-building organization called Operation Finally Home.

Marine Staff Sgt. Scott Wood served tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan. Injuries suffered from an improvised explosive device while he was on duty led to several painful surgeries. His family said he also suffered from PTSD. While he was at home in Alvin visiting family and friends he died unexpectedly in his sleep on Nov. 20, 2011.

He was 35 years old.

Four weeks later, his widow Sara Wood and their son Landon were invited to Reliant Stadium to be guests of the Houston Texans at a game against the Carolina Panthers.

They were told they would receive free Christmas presents, especially for 5-year-old Landon. Landon did get several presents. But the Texans, and Operation Finally Home CEO Dan Wallrath in a presentation broadcast on the stadium’s video screens, also surprised them with the promise to build her a new home.

Fast forward 10 months to Tuesday in the Kendall Lakes subdivision in Alvin, and dozens greeted Sara and Landon Wood at their new 2,391-square-foot home.

“We owe this to this family,” said Operation Finally Home founder and CEO Dan Wallrath.

“As Americans we owe this to this family.”
read more here