At the end of Rose Parade, keys wait for Purpe Heart Veteran

Rose Parade 2015: Retired Army veteran surprised with new home at end of parade 
Pasadena Star News
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
Richard Irwin
January 1, 2015

Retired Army Sgt. Dominic Perrotte III and his family receive a “key” to their new home from Wells Fargo. Photo Courtesy Wells Fargo

Thursday’s Rose Parade centered on lives reflecting the theme of “Inspiring Stories.” Leading the way was posthumous Grand Marshal Louis Zamperini whose amazing life is chronicled in the recently released Angelina Jolie film “Unbroken.”

Other American heroes with inspiring stories in the parade, ranged from wounded veterans and organ donors to Special Olympians and plucky high school musicians.

But only one hero received the keys to a new home. That was retired Army Sgt. Dominic Perrotte III. He thought he was only riding in the 126th Rose Parade as a representative of American service men and women around the world. But Perrotte and his family got much more, when Wells Fargo and Company and the Military Warriors Support Foundation gave him a mortgage-free home in Virginia.

The family learned of the gift in a ceremony at the end of the Rose Parade. Tim Sloan, senior executive vice president of Wells Fargo, presented the teary-eyed family with a large red ceremonial house key.

“In honor of your service, Wells Fargo and the Military Warriors Support Foundation would like to present you with the 200th home that Wells Fargo has provided to veterans since 2013,”

Sloan said as Kayla grabbed her husband’s arm and began to cry. “Sgt. Perrotte, Kayla, here’s the key to your new home in Hampton, Virginia, thank you for your service.”
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'Nam vets rally Army of volunteers to help disabled comrade

'Nam vets rally to help disabled comrade
WCF Courier
By Pat Kinney
November 28, 2014

WATERLOO
Walter Sanders went into the Navy in 1968 expecting he wouldn't be sent to Vietnam. He was sent there anyway.

Now the veteran and his wife of 43 years, Karen, are encountering new battles they didn't bargain for: Walter's disability and other health issues make simply getting in and out of the shower a challenge.

Sanders is getting help from two fellow Vietnam veterans in a project supported by Wells Fargo Bank.

Building contractor Rick Reuter and Larry Walters of the Cedar Falls Veterans of Foreign Wars, Wells Fargo and an army of contractors and volunteers are expanding the bathroom in the Sanders home in the City View neighborhood on Waterloo's east side to accommodate his disabilities.

It's part of an ongoing Wells Fargo program to help veterans and includes a $10,000 grant.

"You don't know what a blessing this is. It's a blessing. I appreciate all of you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" said Walter Sanders, who along with Karen could hardly contain their relief.

"God works through people," he said.

Sanders was a Navy storekeeper in Vietnam at Camp Tien Sha near Da Nang. Part of his duties, for which he volunteered, involved moving supplies to frontline troops near Vietnam's demilitarized zone during his tour of duty in 1968. He was exposed to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

Over the past 10 years he has suffered prostate cancer, a stroke, diabetes and multiple brain tumors. He is now considered cancer free but is still being seen at the Veterans Administration Hospital in Iowa City. He has mobility and balance issues and uses a cane and a wheelchair. He requires substantial care from Karen.
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Snapple and Wells Fargo step up for disabled veteran

Combat-wounded veteran presented with 100 percent mortgage-free home
Your Houston News
July 6, 2014

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, Military Warriors Support Foundation and Wells Fargo presented a 100 percent mortgage-free, newly renovated home to one of the nation’s combat-wounded heroes, on Friday, July 4, 2014.

Staff Sergeant Anthony Dekargai was honored at the Freedom Over Texas event, Houston’s signature annual Independence Day celebration that attracts nationally recognized recording artists as well as regional and local talent. Project Rebuild recognized Dekargai for his service and sacrifice and presented him the keys to a mortgage-free home in Houston, donated by Wells Fargo.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group teamed up with Military Warriors Support Foundation to launch Project Rebuild, a campaign to assist in rebuilding the lives of our nation’s combat-wounded veterans.

Funds generated from the purchase of participating Dr Pepper Snapple Group products at local Walmart stores help award 100 percent mortgage-free homes to combat-wounded veterans and surviving spouses of our fallen heroes.
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Wells Fargo to donate $30 million worth of property to veterans and their families

Veteran receives mortgage-free home in Harford
Joppatowne condo donated by Wells Fargo to Operation Homefront organization
Baltimore Sun
BY DAVID ANDERSON
July 3, 2014

John Laursen, an Army veteran of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and his wife Casey have spent about a year handling his recovery after being medically evacuated from Afghanistan, but they are able to begin moving forward, with the first steps being across the threshold of their new home in Harford County Wednesday.

The Laursens and their dog, a Labrador mix named Bailey, will live in a mortgage-free condominium in Joppatowne, which they obtained through the nonprofit organization Operation Homefront.

Wells Fargo owns the property, and the San Francisco-based banking firm, one of the largest in the nation, donated it to Operation Homefront.

The property donation is part of a commitment by Wells Fargo to donate $30 million worth of property to veterans and their families; the financial institution committed $35 million over three years to assist veterans beginning in 2012.

The Laursens moved into the condominium, in the 500 block of Cider Press Court, Wednesday morning.

As part of the "key ceremony," they received a surprise greeting from representatives of Operation Homefront, as well as family members they have not seen in a year, including Casey's older sister, Stephanie Young, her mother Cindy Young and grandmother Kathy Hallsworth, all of Watertown, N.Y.

The couple had been living in an apartment in Woodbridge, Va., since July 2013 as John recovered at Ft. Belvoir Community Hospital from injuries sustained in Afghanistan that year.
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Cocoa bank robber learns don't mess with a Marine

Ex-Marine Fights Off Armed Florida Bank Robber
Brevard Times

COCOA, Florida -- At approximately 1:05 p.m. today, Cocoa Police received a call of an armed robbery at the Wells Fargo bank on US-1 in Cocoa, Florida. Police quickly arrived on scene and were directed by witnesses to where the suspect may have fled. Police set up a perimeter and quickly located the suspect.

According to witnesses' accounts to police, the suspect, 43-year-old Edward Sotelo entered the bank wearing a construction-type hard hat with tape on the front and back, and a surgical mask.

Sotelo allegedly approached the teller window, pointed the gun at the teller and demanded money.

Police say thats when a customer of the bank, at the next window, saw what was happening and began fighting the bank robber. The bank customer is a former Marine and a former member of law enforcement.
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Disabled Veteran Wrongly Hounded by Wells Fargo Dies in Court

Disabled Veteran Wrongly Hounded by Wells Fargo Dies in Court
Posted on Mar 10, 2013

A typo by banking giant Wells Fargo resulted in a more than two-year legal battle that came to a tragic conclusion in December when Larry Delassus’ heart stopped in a Los Angeles area courtroom and he died, a new LA Weekly report reveals.

Delassus, a disabled Navy veteran, didn’t do anything wrong to warrant the legal action Wells Fargo took against him—as LA Weekly noted, he didn’t even owe a penny in taxes. Instead, he was the victim of a typographical error that the big bank made and then would not correct even after it discovered the mistake.
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