Lamar Smith Signature Homes, a leading builder of quality new homes in coastal Georgia, held a groundbreaking on Oct. 3 for Operation Hero House, a community-wide project that honors the thousands of brave men and women military service members who willingly sacrificed their lives and the more than 30,000 wounded warriors left disabled due to combat actions during the War on Terror. 1st Lt. Hank Brady, 3rd Combined Arms Battalion, 69th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, was selected as the recipient of the first Operation Hero House.  

"Lt. Hank Brady is a perfect example of selfless service and we are excited to have broken ground on the Hero House for this very deserving wounded warrior," said Lamar Smith, owner of Lamar Smith Signature Homes. "It is our deep desire to give back to those who have sacrificed so much on our behalf and we are committed to building a quality, custom home to suit Lt. Brady's special needs." 

Brady, a Purple Heart recipient, and his wife, the former Maria Casseres, are newlyweds currently residing in Savannah, Ga. He was wounded during his deployment to Afghanistan in 2013 when a rocket-propelled grenade struck the back of his vehicle, only a few feet from where he was standing. Despite being told by physicians that his wounds would prevent him from being able to run, he completed a marathon less than four months after being removed from all splints. 

"We're both overwhelmed for being selected to receive such an amazing token of gratitude from Operation Hero House; it speaks volumes for the support we servicemen and servicewomen receive from our community," said Brady. "We will always be grateful for the donated time, labor, land and supplies that Lamar Smith and his distributors have pledged and Maria and I will work hard to ensure we remain deserving of such a blessing."  

The Brady's' new home, which will be given mortgage-free, is being built in the Teal Lake subdivision in Chatham County, off of Highway 17. The custom Lamar Smith home will be uniquely equipped to help Brady live more independently and have a greater chance at facing the difficulties and challenges ahead.  The home incorporates the ALL - A Liveable Lifestyle Home features which makes the home more accessible and easier to maneuver.

For more information about Operation Hero House, please contact David Hagan, director of sales and marketing at Lamar Smith Signature Homes at 912.663.4775 or via email at dhagan@lamarsmithsignature.com. For more information about the ALL Home program, contact Bettie Sleeth at bsleeth@hbag.org or Kailey Murphy at kmurphy@hbag.org.