Army family getting a home they can call their own in Luling
When the Youngs toured their house under construction in Ashton Plantation subdivision on Tuesday (Nov. 3), they were greeted with the welcome sight of “notes of love” scribbled with Sharpies on the studs.
“Nathan, we are proud to have you in St. Charles Parish – the parish of plenty,” wrote Parish President V.J. St. Pierre on a stud. “I hope the love you feel … will last forever. Thank you for your service to our great country. God bless.”
St. Pierre’s note is among several written throughout the house, many of them thanking Ret. Sgt. Nathan Young for his service in the U.S. Army. It’s why he, his wife Tabitha, daughter, Emme, and miniature Schnauzer, Maggie, will have their new home.
The recognition comes just days before Veterans Day on Nov. 11.
Operation Finally Home, the organization providing the family with a house, held “Notes of Love Day” on Monday, where family, friends and neighbors came and signed the studs in the house.
“I think they’re cool,” Sgt. Young said of the love notes. “Who knows? Someone might remodel the house in 100 years from now and find them and think they’re pretty neat.”At 319 LacCalcasieu Drive in Luling, construction is well underway and should be finished in January.
“The Tysons are great,” Tabitha said.
Destrehan builder Larry Tyson of Tyson Construction, is building the 3,200-square-foot house at no charge, which includes three bedrooms, a garage and porch, said the support for this family was amazing.
“When people heard about what we’re doing, people volunteered to help and provide assistance in any way they could,” Tyson said.
The Youngs’ mother and father will be living with them so the house will include a mother-in-law suite with H&M Pest Control covering the cost of the room, he said.
Additionally, United Way of St. Charles is providing cabinets and Ideal Appliances donating appliances.
J.C. Penney is contributing to the home furnishings. Tyson said most of the subcontractors have discounted their work.To assist or contribute to the project, contact Tyson Construction at (504) 319-9001 or (504) 236-3838.
Established in 2005 by a retired builder in Houston, Texas, Operation Finally Home is a national nonprofit organization building mortgage-free houses for wounded, ill or injured military veterans and veterans’ widows. The organization partners with corporate sponsors, builder associations, developers, individual contributors, volunteers and builders like Tyson Construction to provide veterans with homes.
“Nice young man and nice family,” Tyson said of Sgt. Young.
“We’re just really proud to build a house for them.”The Youngs’ house is the organization’s first project in Louisiana and is scheduled for completion in January. The Erwin Morris Foundation in Los Angeles, Calif., is helping fund construction.
Tyson Construction (owners Larry and Patricia Tyson and their son, Zachary, who is helping oversee the job) got involved with the project through Southern Living Custom Builder Program of which it is a member. The company, in the building business for nearly 25 years, is handling the job of bringing all these pieces together to make the house.
Tyson said the Youngs, who are big Saints football fans, came to New Orleans and fell in love with the area.
Young, a sergeant with the U.S. Army, was deployed to Iraq in 2003 for 15 months and then returned to his job as a corporal with the Mobile Police Department. By July of 2010, he returned to Iraq and was on a Humvee patrol in Mosul that was approaching two men walking on the road who threw two Russian anti-tank grenades in his vehicle.
The blast left Young with a traumatic brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), as well as frequent migraine headaches and torn discs in his back. Nearly three years later, he was medically retired by the Army, but could not return to his work as a police officer.
At this point in his life, Young said he just wanted to settle down and take things easy.
Two months ago, he started to feel it was happening when he and Tabitha came by the site to see the progress on their house while celebrating their wedding anniversary. And, now, Young recounted how much he liked the builders, contractors and organizations that made their home possible had left their mark.
One note scribbled over a doorway in big letters completed the thought: “God bless this house.”
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