One of the most decorated female veterans in American history has received a mortgage-free home from Building Homes for Heroes.
Along with its partners, Hillwood Communities and Highland Homes, BHH created a dream home for retired Army Command Sgt. Major Gretchen Evans and her husband, retired Navy Chaplain Capt. Bob D. Evans in the Dallas, Texas area.
Evans has described the house as “a dream come true” and her “forever home."
“Of course, when you first find out, you feel a bit undeserving,” she said. “There are so many worthy people out there. For me personally, it reinforces the thoughts I had after I was first injured. I knew my life was going to change, but I had faith that I would be taken care of by America.”
Evans, a 27-year Army veteran and a past recipient of the Pat Tillman Award for Service, received the keys to her new home on Sept. 11. She was injured in a rocket blast in Afghanistan in 2006 and suffered total hearing loss and a traumatic brain injury, which would end her military career. In the months following the blast, she suffered from severe depression and PTSD.
“It was a difficult transition from military life to civilian life, compounded by my injuries. When I finally realized that I was limiting myself based on what I thought I could do as a deaf person,” she said. “I decided that is not how I wanted to live my life. So I founded Team UNBROKEN, which consisted of others who had physical or mental injuries or illnesses.”
In 2018, Evans founded Team UNBROKEN, an adaptive racing team comprised mostly of veterans who have experienced life-altering injuries, illness, or traumas.
“We wanted to help others like ourselves who had life-altering injuries, illnesses, or traumas, believe that these things do not define who you are or what you can accomplish,” she said. “With hard work, a belief in yourself, and a great rope team, you can do the things you desire to do; your challenges do not have to stand in your way.”
Team UNBROKEN decided to compete in the World's Toughest Race in 2020.
“What we learned was that what is within you is stronger than what is in your way and that being part of a rope team makes dreams come true,” she said.
Evans said she has struggled in the past to find disability-friendly housing and needed to adapt her previous home for hearing impairments and wheelchair access at great personal expense.
The Evans’ new home will be a hub for all the memes of Team UNBROKEN, whose members will be able to safely navigate the entire house when they gather for the races they compete in nationwide, she said.
“It’s easy to send troops to war, but not as easy to bring them home and take care of them,” Evans added.
Evans, who is also a motivational speaker, has a message to veterans living with challenges.
“See yourself as mixed ability, for every ability you lost, you have replaced with another ability by learning how to navigate life differently,” she said.
Evans is a Bronze Star and Purple Heart recipient. She has also been inducted into the U.S. Army Women’s Hall of Fame and the U.S. Veteran Hall of Fame.
“I think the public does support veterans as a whole,” she said. “My message would be thank you for those who do, and for those who want to the help there are organizations like Building Homes for Heroes and Team UNBROKEN that are doing amazing work.”
The home is BHH’s 433rd mortgage-free home and part of its larger commitment to present 11 mortgage-free homes over 11 weeks, in honor of the 9/11 anniversary and Veterans Day.
Reach Julia LeDoux at Julia@connectingvets.com.