TOOELE, Utah — It was a hero’s welcome for former United States Air Force Technical Sgt. Jesse Clark as he and his family arrived to see for the first time their new home in Tooele, courtesy of the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
The 58-year-old who served for over 20 years in the Air Force is wheelchair-bound as a result of a brain tumor he suffered due to exposure to chemicals while working as an F-16 mechanic in Turkey in the early '90s.
“Mr. Hussein lit his oil wells on fire. All the dirty air flew into Turkey and I inhaled a lot of it, I guess,” said Clark.
Clark’s service to his country did not go unnoticed by the nonprofit Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which was established following 9/11.
The Clark family’s new smart home comes mortgage-free.
After getting a tour of the home designed to make Clark's life around the house easier, he and his wife Rebecca had the same reaction.
“Amazing. I am totally in awe — totally shocked me," said Jesse.
“I was shocked, amazed. It’s incredible," Rebecca added.
The couple has been married for 36 years and after having to fight for years to get VA benefits, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation has been a godsend.
“Being a military brat myself, I’ve never had my own home. Yeah, this is incredible. We’ve been in base housing or apartments," said Rebecca.
The Clarks' home brings the number of smart homes awarded by the foundation to Gold Star families and injured veterans and first responders to more than 200 and counting — not to mention thousands of mortgages the foundation has paid off.
“If you put on a uniform and walk out your front door with the risk that you might not be coming home, we have your family’s back,” said Jack Kielty, a retired New York City Fire Department lieutenant who serves on the board of the foundation. “This is a foundation that’s going to take care of you, the people you’ve left behind or take care of you if you’re really hurt, because you earned it.”
As the Clarks get accustomed to their new spacious home, Jesse is already looking forward to how the new digs will enhance his day-to-day life.
“I won’t be in this chair all the time and won’t be in bed all the time," he said. "I’ll be able to get up and get out and spend time with my family.”
To help the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, you can learn more or donate by visiting T2T.org.
