PulteGroup Breaks Ground on New Mortgage-Free Home for U.S. Marine Veteran and Purple Heart Recipient in Jacksonville

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Matthew Perry, a Purple Heart recipient, and his family have officially broken ground on their future home at Forest Park at Wildlight by Pulte Homes. Back in June, he received the life-changing news that PulteGroup is building him a new mortgage-free home. This is the third home dedicated in Jacksonville through the company's Built to Honor program.
“It is truly a privilege for our team to build this home for Sgt. Perry and thank him for his bravery and service to our country,” said Tony Nason, President of PulteGroup’s Northeast Florida Division. “We are honored to build a home for Matt and his family that is fully accessible and that will vastly improve his quality of life.”
 Built specifically for the Perry family, their brand-new home is designed to meet all of Sgt. Perry’s physical needs. The home is located in Pulte's Forest Park at Wildlight community and has been awarded with the support of Wildlight. 

“Forest Park at Wildlight is the perfect place for the Perry family to call home,” said Wes Hinton, Vice President, Wildlight. “The Perry family will be part of a strong community, including fellow veterans, and will be close to the services they need. We are excited for the wonderful memories the family will create together when they move into their new home.”

The home is being built in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes®, a national non-profit organization strongly committed to rebuilding lives and supporting the brave men and women who were injured while serving our country’s armed forces. 

U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Matthew Perry
U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Matthew Perry, joined the Marines in Fairfield, California in August 2005 and was medically retired in March 2016 after suffering a TBI in Afghanistan. While serving in combat in both Iraq and Afghanistan, Sgt. Perry carried out numerous missions where his life was constantly on the line. He witnessed the death of his fellow Marines and sustained several injuries.
 
On July 21, 2008 in Afghanistan, Sgt. Perry was in direct contact with enemy forces during a company assault where he was exposed to three improvised explosive device (IED) detonations. Each explosion resulted in Sgt. Perry sustaining injuries including three concussions with a loss of consciousness. Despite everything that took place that day, Sgt. Perry chose to remain with his squad to support combat operations and refused to leave his unit.
 
Unfortunately, years later on July 16, 2014 while performing his duties, Sgt. Perry suffered a series of severe seizures that resulted in cardiac and respiratory arrest and rendered him unconscious. It was then determined that having three sequential head injuries within 24 hours during his combat mission in 2008 had caused post traumatic epilepsy secondary to closed brain injury, a chronic condition that will require lifetime monitoring and treatment. This left him with severe memory loss and communication difficulties. Sgt. Perry has worked every day through his therapies to try and get better, having to relearn how to walk and talk.