When R & M Service Experts General Manager Stephen Arvan was invited to provide a complimentary HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) equipment installation for a serviceman who lost both his legs while sweeping for IEDs in Afghanistan, there was only one answer: Absolutely.
Cody Evans was only 27 years old when he was on patrol in Afghanistan and injured by an IED explosion. The explosion resulted in burns from his hands to his arms, broken bones in his right hand, a pulmonary embolism, and a fractured coccyx. The incident also took both his legs. After nearly a year of inpatient and outpatient treatment at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Cody returned home to Tennessee and retired from the Marine Corps at the beginning of 2013.
Even though Cody has been in Tennessee for more than three years now, in May Cody got a totally different kind of homecoming. With the collaboration of over 400 sub-contractors and 80 traveling volunteers, including NYC firefighters who were at the Twin Towers on 9/11, the organization A Soldier’s Journey Home was able to give Cody a disabled-accessible home.
According to the non-profit’s site, A Soldier’s Journey Home is the product and passion of a mass of people who will forever remember September 11, 2001, but most importantly, will always remember what we as a nation felt like on September 12, 2001.
That tragic day that will forever be remembered propelled a new age that resulted in many of our nation’s men and women being stationed overseas. A Soldier’s Journey Home wants to offer support and ensure these men and women and their families know that their sacrifice does not go unnoticed.
“These soldiers have left to fight overseas for us and our freedom, so this is something we can do to show how thankful we are for their service,” said Stephen. Stephen was proud to be a part of such a wonderful organization and has been working with A Soldier’s Journey Home for many months. He is now the project coordinator for the non-profit.
“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 assisting other organizations that help to rebuild after tragic events, including helping after Hurricane Katrina. A Soldier’s Journey home was formed in 2015 to focus on soldiers returning home.
D & K Heating Service Experts is honored to welcome home Lance Corporal Cody Evans and we thank all of our servicemen and servicewomen and their families who sacrifice so much for all of us here at home. We salute you.