When R & M Service Experts General Manager Stephen Arvan was invited to provide a free HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning) system installation for a soldier who lost both his legs while deployed to Afghanistan, there was only one thing to say: Absolutely.
At only 27 years old, Cody Evans was injured by an IED explosion while on patrol in Afghanistan. The explosion resulted in burns on his arms and hands, broken bones in his hand, a pulmonary embolism, and a broken coccyx. It also took both his legs. After nearly a year of inpatient and outpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Cody went home to Tennessee and retired from the Marine Corps In January 2013.
Though he’s been living in Tennessee for more than three years, this May Cody is getting a another kind of homecoming. With the assistance of over 400 sub-contractors and 80 traveling volunteers, including NYC firefighters who responded to Ground Zero on 9/11, the organization A Soldier’s Journey Home was able to construct Cody a disabled-accessible home.
According to the non-profit’s site, A Soldier’s Journey Home is the product and passion of a group of people who will never forget September 11, 2001, but most importantly, still remember what we as a nation felt like on September 12, 2001.
That horrible day that will never be forgotten spurred a new age that resulted in many of our nation’s men and women being deployed. A Soldier’s Journey Home wants to offer support and make it known to these servicemen and servicewomen and their families know that their sacrifice does not go unnoticed.
“These guys have left to fight overseas for us and our freedom, so this is a way we can show support for them,” said Stephen. Stephen was humbled to be a part of such a wonderful organization and has been working with A Soldier’s Journey Home for many months. He is excited to now be the project coordinator for the organization.
“This was our first home build as our own non-profit group,” said Stephen. A vast amount of the volunteers and the board members had been working with other organizations that help to rebuild after devastating events, including helping after Hurricane Katrina. A Soldier’s Journey home was created in 2015 to focus on our men and women returning home.
Chief/Bauer Service Experts would like to welcome home Lance Corporal Cody Evans and we thank all of our men and women who serve and their families who sacrifice so much for all of us here at home. We salute you.