MT. JULIET, Tenn. (WTVF) — Letters of encouragement pour in for the LeBerge family as they visit their new home for the first time.
Small "notes of love" written by some of the same people who took part in the project, now cover the walls of their Mt. Juliet home.
It was an emotional experience for David and Tammy LeBerge who count their blessings every day knowing their son Ethan managed to survive a devastating attack while serving in Afghanistan.
Ethan was a mere 10 feet from a suicide bomber who detonated and killed some of his colleagues. From the hospital, Ethan read every word of encouragement. Not unlike the notes he now finds around every wall of his new house.
"Our minds are spinning every single day with what this means for our family. It creates so many opportunities for kids," Ethan said.
Ethan and his wife Arin are both Army veterans and share two children. Their story captivated Operation Finally Home who managed to find contractors and a local development willing to take on the task. Rusty Carroll is the executive director and says they have roughly 300 families reaching out for help all over the country, but everything seemed to align for Ethan and Arin.
"We just felt like they were just a model for the type of veterans and families that the community wants to come together, support and provide them the foundation so they can continue to move forward," Carroll said.
Since 2005, Operation Finally Home has completed or is in the process of completing more than 350 projects. The LeBerge home marks the 10th home in Tennessee since 2011.
