Antioch celebration on Sunday for veteran wounded in Afghanistan getting new home for his family
Thursday, September 14th, 2017East County Veterans and Homes for Our Troops make it happen
Thanks to the efforts of the East County Veterans Support Services (ECVSS) and Homes for Our Troops, Antioch resident and wounded military veteran Daniel Fye and his family are getting a new home. It will be able to accommodate his needs, having lost part of his left leg and sustaining sever damage to his right during an explosion while serving in Afghanistan.
Daniel Fye and family will be moving into their home on Saturday, September 23 in Washington State, we cannot all attend to celebrate with them in person, so, his mother Janis Fye and family and ECVSS will be holding a Community House Warming Open House this Sunday, Sept. 17 from 1:00-4:00 p.m. at 1023 W. 2nd Street, in Antioch’s historic, downtown Rivertown.
All are welcome to drop in, sign a card, have some light snacks and refreshments. Gift suggestions: Gift cards. Janis and family will take all of your gifts and love to Danny and the family.
During his third combat tour on May 27, 2011, Air Force Tech Sergeant Daniel Fye, an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Team Leader with the 466 Bravo EOD Flight, was severely injured in an improvised explosive device (IED) explosion during a route clearance mission in Mushan, Afghanistan. The blast resulted in the loss of his left leg and severe damage to his right.
During his three-month stay at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Dan underwent multiple surgeries for his amputation, burns and several limb salvage procedures on his right leg. After his release, he endured three years of physical therapy. He now wears a prosthetic on his left leg and a brace on his right leg.
These days Dan can be found in the garage working on cars, in the gym lifting weights or at home spending time and traveling with his four children and wife Nicole. While he may lead an active lifestyle, there are several challenges he faces daily.
A single-story Homes For Our Troops home with an accessible bathroom, Dan says, will make daily life more comfortable and “less of a chore.” Having the financial burden of a mortgage eliminated, he says, will open up many doors for him and his family. He will be able to build a large, detached garage where he can work on cars. He would like to race cars and raise money for Veteran organizations. He has dreams of entrepreneurship too, and would like to build a home gym, where he could teach others with physical challenges how to weight lift.
Originally from Antioch, Dan and his family are choosing to build their home in Bremerton, Wash. After being stationed in the area, he says it feels like home.
Dan says the gift of a specially adapted home will be life-changing.
“It will give me a comfortable home to live in while allowing me to pursue dreams that I thought wouldn’t have been possible,” he said.
“After a very long road of constant recovery, my son Danny and family are moving into their blessing miracle home from Homes for Our Troops in two weeks in Bremerton WA, built to accommodate his special needs,” Janis Fye wrote in a post on Facebook. “Since Danny and Nicole’s home town is too far away to attend, Josie Monaghan and East County Vets are holding a Community House Warming Open House next Sunday, 9/17 1:00 – 4:00 where those who have prayed and loved Danny through his healing since Afghanistan can come mingle, sign cards, bring gift cards, etc. eat cake and see photos of his journey showing Danny his home town & friends still care and love him. Danny has had such a long, difficult road to recovery and still has many obstacles to climb. Please come out and show him we care. Thank You Josie and Joey and East County Vets. Thank You Homes for Our Troops.”
For more information about Homes for Our Troops and the home for Daniel Fye and family visit www.hfotusa.org/building-homes/veterans/fye/. For more information about East County Veterans Support Services visit www.ecvss.org or https://www.facebook.com/ECVSS/.
Allen Payton contributed to this story.