Nov 11, 2009 3:29 pm US/Eastern
Volunteers Build Home For Wounded Marine In N.J.
Cpl. Visnu Gonzales, Paralyzed In Iraq 5 Years Ago By Sniper, Brought To Tears By Surprise, Visits From Fellow Corpsman
Reporting
Cindy Hsu
HILLSDALE, N.J. (CBS) ―
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U.S. Marine Cpl. Visnu Gonzales reacts with emotion as he learns volunteers built him a new home in Hillsdale, N.J., after he was paralyzed by a sniper's bullet in Iraq five years ago.
CBS
A U.S. Marine received a 21-gun salute and a hero's welcome as he made his way to his new house in Hillsdale, built by the non-profit group "Homes for our Troops."
Corporal Visnu Gonzales was paralyzed from the chest down. He was shot by a sniper in Iraq five years ago, and dreamed of being a Marine since he was a child in the Dominican Republic.
"All my family have been military, not here in the states, but I wanted to further the challenge a little bit more, so I decided to join the Marines," said Gonzalez.
"He was a strict guy that was always perfect in school, protected the mom, the sister, he was always there like a policeman protecting us," said Maria Baez, Gonzalez' mother.
Gonzales was shocked and brought to tears when fellow Marines from California and the corpsman who saved his life in Iraq surprised him on this special day. He's spent the last five years in and out of VA hospitals, but Tuesday he has a brand new home, built just for him.
"This is a master bath with an inclusive shower, so you could shower over here anywhere you want. It's all going to drain back here to the floor drain," explained Richard Goyette of Homes for our Troops. "The mirrors lean down so the veteran can see himself in the mirror. Overall he can actually bring himself in and out of the bathroom through a lift and care system attached to the ceiling."
The kitchen counter tops are lower, so Gonzalez can cook from his wheelchair, and the high cabinets have pull down storage shelves.
The amazing house even has an elevator that will give Corporal Gonzalez easy access to all three floors of his new home.
The lawn is full of signs from just a few of the hundreds of volunteers who helped build this house.
"This shows proof that people are good and you just have to tell them where help is needed and they will be there," Baez said.
This the 44th house built by the group "Homes for our Troops," which is run by volunteers and funded through donations.
(© MMX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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