A new home for a hero

By Rob Alway. Editor-in-Chief. 

HAMLIN TWP. — Several dozen people gathered down a little cul de sak in souther Hamlin Township Saturday at noon. The people were there to break ground on a new home for a man who has sacrificed in the service of his nation. Family, friends, fellow soldiers and veterans, politicians, community members and the media attended the ceremony for Eric Lund’s new home.

Eric was injured by an improvised explosive device two years ago while serving with the Michigan National Guard in Afghanistan. As a result of the attack he lost both his arms.

His new home will be located on West Breckenridge Road and is being built through HelpingAHero.org, an organization that builds specially adapted homes for severely injured veterans who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lund’s home is the organization’s first Michigan home. In addition to HelpingAHero.org, many local individuals, organizations and companies have been involved with the house as well. It will be built by Malliett Construction of Ludington.

“God is good and he is faithful,” Eric’s aunt, Melissa Boggs said during the ceremony. Boggs has been instrumental in organizing the house construction. “We don’t have anything without family, friends, faith and community and we want Eric to know that we love him.

“He is not Eric who lost his arms in Afghanistan. He is Eric our guy.”

Col. Jeff Ragland, Ret. was recently named the president and executive director of HelpingAHero.og. “This is what we need to do for our country,” he said about building homes for injured veterans.

Eric’s commanding officer, Lt. Col. Mark Tellier, told Eric he was a fighter and that he will continue to fight, but in a new way.

One of the organizations helping locally is the Mason County Veterans’ Endowment Fund, which has contributed $5,000 towards Eric’s home. Budde Reed spoke on behalf of the organization.

“When we learned about the needs Eric had, we thought it was a great opportunity to help a fellow veteran. Eric is extremely humble and extremely selfless and we will make this home happen. But, if you know Eric, his true happiness will come when we break ground on another soldier’s home.”