FLORENCE: A veteran’s homecoming

By Stephanie Prokop, Staff Writer
FLORENCE — On Veterans Day, when servicemen and women are remembered for their service and dedication, Iraq veteran and retired Marine Staff Sgt. Andrew Robinson, 25, and his wife, Sara, are moving into their new house in Florence built with help from their community.
    For the Robinsons, the flag flying high above their new house represents freedom and independence in several ways: the freedom of the country for which Sgt. Robinson fought for in Iraq, and the newfound independence that the sergeant and his wife will enjoy in their new state-of-the art, handicapped-accessible home.
    Both grew up in northern Burlington County, and will begin a new phase in their lives as they settle into a house that was built with the help of several businesses and organizations, including the not-for-profit organization Homes for Our Troops.
    On June 2006, Sgt. Robinson was serving his second tour in the Al Anbar Province in Iraq as a counterintelligence specialist, and was embarking on a mission to collect information on insurgents responsible for killing American troops. When Sgt. Robinson’s convoy was struck, he sustained broken legs, collapsed lungs and fractured vertebrae that left him paralyzed from the chest down. He now uses a wheelchair.
    On Monday afternoon, a ceremony was given by the organization, and John Gonsalves, president of Homes for Our Troops, presented Sgt. Robinson and his wife with the keys to a four-bedroom ranch-style house on the 600 block of East Sixth Street.
    “We are just so appreciative,” Sgt. Robinson said. The house is so amazing and we are excited to be able to live there and start a daily life there.”
    Sgt. Robinson said he is also looking forward to the technology that will afford him more independence in getting in and around his house.
    “The counters enable me to roll my wheelchair underneath them, as does the stove, so I can cook,” he said.
    Prior to moving in this week, the Robinsons were living in San Diego, Calif. Sgt. Robinson joked that he moved home just in time to see an abnormal late-October flurry, and to feel the chill.
    Weather aside, he reiterated that he is incredibly enthusiastic about moving back close to relatives, and where he and his wife have roots.
    This is the third house that Homes for Our Troops has built in New Jersey.
    In addition to lower counters and a handicapped accessible stove, other conveniences include recessed floor joints that allow space for a wheelchair without having a lot of ramps throughout the house, as well as automatic door openers, a roll-in shower, and a system that can lift someone out of bed.
    Homes for Our Troops worked with other volunteer organizations including HEART/911, a group of veteran police officers and firefighters who survived the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
    Most costs incurred where subsidized by a $50,000 grant from the Injured Marine Fund.
    In addition, the general contractor for the project, Kojeski Construction, of Voorhees, donated its services.
    Homes for Our Troops spokeswoman Vicki Thomas said the project was the fruition of the hard work of many volunteers who wanted to show their community and their servicemen just how thankful they are.
    “As you look at Veterans Day, and you look at America, and you look at all the tributes, today, in Florence, New Jersey, that community epitomizes the spirit of America,” she said.
    She said that if it wasn’t for the hundreds of volunteers, then the job wouldn’t have been completed.
    “When we meet with a veteran and discuss their individual needs in a home, we begin with nothing,” she said.
    In mid-July, a few organizations held a “Build Brigade,” that took the house from a bare foundation to a standing weather-tight structure in a few days, said Bud Livesey, vice-president of Kojeski Construction.
    “It is through the kind generosity of the surrounding community that this happens,” Ms. Thomas said.
    “It just made this a model example of not only what happens in Florence, but in every community, that same magic of giving,” she said.
    Even though the Robinsons are able to move into the house for free, Ms. Thomas said she was recently touched by a reminder from someone that Sgt. Robinson’s military service was not taken lightly.
    “It’s important for everyone to remember that this home for Andy is not free, he made many sacrifices for our country,” she added.