The City of Lincolnton gave a local veteran a hero’s welcome, Saturday morning, celebrating his and his family’s imminent new beginning.
Homes For Our Troops (HFOT) is a national nonprofit that purchases land and builds new custom homes to donate to severely injured post-9/11 military veterans, mortgage free. The homes are specially adapted, constructed with modifications to provide greater access for injured or disable vets, such as windows at wheelchair height, lower light switches and higher electric outlets. The organization, funded by donations, has built over 400 homes for vets in its 20 years, including 15 in Georgia.
“Because of their injuries, they have lost the freedom of independence that they were fighting to defend for us,” said Bill Ivey, executive director of HFOT. “We’re a nonprofit, but don’t think this is charity work, because this ain’t charity work. This is repaying a debt we owe these guys and gals.”
Army Cpt. Joseph Caley was serving as an infantry platoon leader in Kalsu, Iraq on Sept. 18, 2009, attempting to rescue a civilian after an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated, when was hit by a second IED blast. The explosion left Caley with a traumatic brain injury, PTSD and severe damage to his left leg. Caley was a limb salvage patient for 11 years, before deciding with his physicians to have it amputated below the knee in January of 2021.
He recalled being transported to Eisenhower Medical Center at what was then Fort Gordon, keeping his medevac tag as a reminder.
“I still have one that goes from Landstuhl, Germany to Andrews Air Force Base,” Caley said. “This is one of the very few mementos that I keep, and it kind of lets me know where I was, and lends some validity to what happened to me.”
Caley learned about HFOT when he was introduced to a builder—a neighbor of a family he lodged with during a visit to San Antonio as part of his amputee care. He would apply for the program shortly after.
“I had seen some [adapted homes] on TV, and I was like, ‘I’m from Augusta, Ga.… we kind of want to consider this is a small part of the world,” said Caley, who currently lives in Martinez with his wife and two children. “Those things don’t happen to people like me.”
The nonprofit organized one of its kickoff events, in which it honors recipients with a special ceremony coordinated with the community where a selected veteran chooses to have his or her home built: in this case, Lincolnton.
Caley and his family were escorted to the Lincoln Center by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Lincolnton Fire Department, and processional of veteran motorcycle clubs, including Patriot Guard Riders of Georgia, the Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association of Georgia, the American Legion riders, and the Green Knights Military Motorcycle Club.
There they were greeted by a crowd that included fellow vets and their families, cheering and waving American flags, with the Thomson High School Navy JROTC Color Guard.
The crowd then moved inside for a ceremony celebrating Caley receiving a new home from HFOT in Lincolnton. After a video presentation sharing Cadey’s story, there was a series of addresses including two friends. One went on to introduce him to golf. Cadey would go on to head the VGA.
Another veteran echoed Cadey’s experience of how the injury prevented him from doing “dad things,” like carrying his son.
Cadey himself offered thanks to the organization and encouraged others.
Skyler Andrews is a reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
