America's long-lasting wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have resulted in a large population of returning veterans, some of them disabled, who need housing. In the town of League City, Texas, just a few miles from the Galveston Bay, one organization has sprung up to help meet that need. They're calling it "Operation Finally Home." Founded in 2005 by League City homebuilder Dan Wallrath and a handful of fellow builders in the area, the Bay Area Builders Association Support Our Troops (BABASOT) has the mission "to provide custom made homes to wounded and disabled veterans and the widows of the fallen in an effort to get their lives back on track and become productive members of their communities," according to the group's website. "BABASOT partners with corporate sponsors, individuals (sic) contributors, and volunteers to help severely wounded heroes and their families' (sic) transition from the battlefront to the home front." Fox News featured the story in August, 2010 (" Building Homes for Wounded Heroes"). At that time, four homes had been completed; Operation Finally Home is now up to more than a dozen houses, with more on the drawing board. Click here to see the stories of some of the returning service members who have received new homes. Builders, veterans, and their families at groundbreaking ceremonies for home projects managed by Operation Finally Home, a Texas-based non-profit supplying housing for veterans returning from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Top, Aly Wilson, daughter of veteran Johnny Wilson (center) breaks ground with builder Richard Filip. Bottom, veteran Colton Read (center) and wife Jessica Read (right), along with builders Steven Davis, Daniel Vargas, and Jimmy Jacobs. Photos by Dawn Birdsong. At the Builders Show in Orlando this month, Coastal Connection met with Operation Finally Home staff, along with veterans who have benefited from the effort. Air Force Vet Colton Read (shown in the photo above), who gets around in a wheelchair, says he thinks the best thing about his new home, still under construction, might turn out to be the carport and ADA-compliant entryway. “Where I live now,” he explained, “if it’s raining when I get home, it’s hard to get from the truck to my house without getting soaked.” Operation Finally Home needs help from builders, developers, suppliers, and the general public. Interested parties can find out how to get involved at this BABASOT page.
