CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. -- In a quiet Chesterfield neighborhood Thursday morning, the sound of bagpipes and drums filled the air, sounding a procession of law enforcement officers, paying it forward for someone they're calling a patriot.
Captain James Howard, a third-generation veteran, was finally able to return to his new "smart home," with an ADA-compliant deck and bedroom.
Howard, a third-generation soldier, served in Iraq, following the footsteps of his father and grandfather, who both served overseas.
In 2010, he medically retired from the Army after numerous combat and training injuries left him quadriplegic and wheelchair-bound.
"I refer to my disability as a blessing by misfortune," Howard said.
That blessing was Howard's desire to start two different nonprofits, REACHcycles and Veterans and Athletes United. REACHcycles has provided over 1,000 specially adapted bikes to children with disabilities. VAU has supported over 6,000 veterans since 2013 through accessible retreats and adaptive sports programs.
"It means the world to me. It keeps me moving forward and motivated on nights that I can't sleep, I get up and start writing grants or whatever it may be," Howard said. "I'm working to help these children and veterans in whatever way I can."
Now, the help this hero has bestowed is being paid back. Tunnels to Towers, a nonprofit organization that honors first responders, veterans and their families by providing them with mortgage-free homes, paid for Howard's home in full.
"We serve these great heroes who protect us every single day and are willing to give up their bodies or their lives, and they do on both levels, so many times," said Frank Siller, who started the organization in honor of his brother, Stephen, who died in on September 11, 2001.
The house Howard is now calling his forever home is the same house he was married at, the home he's raised his son Luke in.
"To have a forever home, nothing brings me more peace of mind to know my family will always be taken care of," Howard said.
His family is now far-reaching. Beyond the upgrades, beyond the mortgage, a memorial he's created in his backyard is bringing families from near and far together, to honor the fallen.
The Global War on Terror Memorial Flag is made up of more than 7,000 dog tags inscribed with the names of those killed in the War on Terror.
Onlookers point to names on the memorial, sons, and husbands who made the ultimate sacrifice. It's a bond, tying families near and far together, to honor the fallen.
“He’s my brother," Siller said. "I lost a brother 21 years ago. But I gained a hell of a lot more coming back, because of people like this, and that’s what good sacrifice can do.”
