Vandals Destroy Fallen Soldier's Home, Team Rubicon Restores Honor

Gold Star Mom's Mission to Remodel Vandalized Home
KKTV News
By: Katie Pelton
Jun 12, 2015

Now several groups and volunteers are stepping up to give back, including Team Rubicon, a non-profit that responds to disasters.

A Gold Star Mom who lost her son in Iraq is furious about what vandals did to his home. Now she's on a mission to fix it.

Vandals have repeatedly broken into the Fountain home over the last six years since he was killed. But soon the house will feel like a home again, thanks to one mother's love and determination.

Last time Becky Johnson was in the home was in 2008.

"When he left on his last deployment," said Johnson. "I flew out here to see him off."

That's when her son, SSgt. Gary Lee Woods Jr. was last deployed. The 24 year-old was killed by a suicide bomber in April 2009 in Iraq.

Becky is a Gold Star Mother, which is an organization for mothers who lost a son or daughter in service. She and her husband, Pat live in Indiana. They both came down to clean up the house.

"My goal is to get this house back into the shape that it was before he left when he lived here," said Johnson.

Spray paint litters the walls after vandals broke in over the past couple years and destroyed the home.

"They shouldn't have came in here and did this to his house," said Johnson. "He deserved better than that."
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