Repairs completed on veteran’s home damaged by Hurricane Florence in Leland

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — A large group of veterans and nonprofit organizations came together on Monday, to celebrate the completion of repairs to a veteran’s home.

The house was initially damaged by Hurricane Florence in 2018.

Purple Heart Homes, a national nonprofit based out of Statesville, hosted its “Mission Complete Ceremony” at army veteran Frederick Smith’s home in Leland.

Army veteran Frederick Smith has lived in his house for nearly 18 years. When Hurricane Florence hit the Cape Fear in 2018, his home suffered from severe damage.

The storm caused a tree to fall on his roof, and also led to a damaged pipe under his home.

The pipe damaged from the hurricane, led to another pipe bursting inside of his home in 2021.

“I thought maybe, once we cleared up all the debris from the storm, that it was over, and it wasn’t until when the pipe burst and water shot through the wall and flooded the house when I realized, that storm was still here,” said Frederick Smith, homeowner.

The water damage from the burst pipes damaged all of the flooring in his home, plus his kitchen cabinets, and countertops.

Smith says he started trying to do some of the work on his own, when a contractor started the work, but didn’t finish because his homeowner’s insurance failed to cover the majority of the damage.

That’s when American Legion’s Post 68, post 543, and Purple Heart Homes stepped in.

“This is a very gratifying day for a number of people. With the help of another Post 543 at St. James, and the Military Officers Association of Wilmington, we had raised some funds to get him on the road, the Purple Heart Homes stepped up, and they carried the lion’s share and got us across the finish line,” said Lane Adrian, American Legion Post 68 service officer.

“Lowes was a huge partner in this. They supported us with donating materials, –materials at discounts. So, we were able to get Freddie Smith, who is a Gulf War veteran and amputee, new flooring in his house to help make it safer for him. So, that he can spend more of his life here, in the home that he loves and grown accustomed to,” said Lamar Austin, Purple Heart Homes project manager.

Smith says he is thankful for the nonprofits and veteran organizations partnering to help him and his wife make repairs to their home.

“It’s such a blessing. I thank God for being able to see my home again, be in my home again, –to be able to put furniture in my home again. You know, I’m very humble and thankful for all the hands and the boots on the ground that helped me get to this point,” said Smith.

At the end of the Mission Complete Ceremony, Smith was presented with a quilt, and a check from the Military Officers Association of America.