Alfred Guerra never faltered when it came to proudly serving his country in World War II. Now, in his time of need, his community is stepping up to proudly serve the war hero.

His family tried to keep up with the repair and maintenance on the old house, but it became uninhabitable after his son, who had torn out much of the interior during the remodel, suddenly passed away from cancer.

Hoping to harness the power of social media, his daughter, Maria, reached out via Facebook to ask for help. It wasn’t long before a variety of veterans groups heard about the man who had earned a Bronze Star and Purple Heart for acts of bravery in the Philippines.

First to answer the call was the Military Order of the Purple Heart, followed soon after by Broken Warriors’ Angels, a local nonprofit serving San Antonio veterans and their families, along with the VFW Post 76, and the city’s Department of Human Services and Department of Military Affairs..

“As combat warriors, we leave nobody behind. And as veterans, we leave no veteran behind,” Tony Roman, of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, told KSAT-News.

Mr. Guerra had moved in with Maria and was thrilled that the repairs underway once again—but then the COVID-19 lockdown put the project on hold.

Thankfully, this month, the hammers, saws, and nail guns, were singing once again. Veteran volunteers who had served in three foreign conflicts—Iraq, Afghanistan, and Vietnam—arrived on the scene and worked as a team to gut the home’s interior and prep it for the next phase of the home makeover.

It may take another month or so to complete the project but more than anything else, Guerra yearns to move back into his home. He longs to tend the roses he named in honor of his wife, Emma, in their garden. He’s so eager in fact, he told his family he’d live there in a tent.

“As long as I’m with my family,” Guerra added. “I’m always happy.”

Read more about this wonderful story here!

(Photo courtesy ofMilitary Order of the Purple Heart, San Antonio 1836/Facebook)

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