CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Coastal Bend veteran and his family received the surprise of their lives Friday when they were presented with the land on which their new home will soon be built.
The gift for the family was presented to them through Operation Appreciation, which is an HEB Military Appreciation Program.
"It was like, we started crying. We're still now just believing it. We're still in the process of accepting it," Sgt. Julio Martinez said.
Martinez and his family thought they were showing up to a meeting as another step in their application process with Operation Appreciation.
"So when we started seeing people I thought, 'Okay, is this for us?' Then it started sinking in that it is for us, because everyone started cheering. So we started crying immediately," Manquetzalli Martinez said.
"They literally drove into their new neighborhood thinking they were attending one more meeting, not knowing that this truly is their new neighborhood," said Regina Garcia, Senior Manager of Public Affairs at HEB.
Since its founding in 2013, Operation Appreciation has built 26 mortgage-free homes for military veterans across the state. With help from the non-profit group Operation Finally Home, the Martinez residence will be number 27.
"We're honored to have so many people here with American flags. Giving them the glory and praise they need for coming to us at this moment in their lives and being able to accept this gift as he gifted us with his service," Garcia said.
Sgt. Martinez was wounded during his time of service, and he now uses a wheelchair. According to Manquetzalli, the mobility issues have been especially hard for the whole family, and having a new home designed around her husband's needs means so much.
"They're going to design if for us, for my husband's needs. It's going to be a big help because just getting around the house will make a big difference. It'll be easy to get around with his wheelchair. It's a tremendous help," Martinez said.
"I would say, to represent all the veterans, in the name of veterans, I would say thank you. Thanks to all of you," Sgt. Julio Martinez said.
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