BY DONNA SWICEGOOD

Fred Rash will be able to have a cup of coffee on the front porch of his new home and know he is close to family if he needs something.

“I love it,” he said after a ceremony Friday to welcome him to his new home, which came about thanks to Purple Heart Homes and a variety of businesses and individuals that donated materials or time to build Rash’s new tiny home.

The home is on a lot directly behind his son, Rockie Lynne’s residence, meaning the 92-year-old veteran who has macular degeneration will have his independence and still have family nearby.

The Mission Complete ceremony included pomp and circumstance, including Lynne singing the National Anthem and presentation of the colors by the Statesville High School JROTC.

Rash, who has been living in Salisbury, realized the need to be closer to family for support with meals, transportation and appointments with the Veterans Administration.

Lynne said he and his wife Susan moved back to Statesville 10 years ago to help his father.

“He adopted me as a young boy, and he was the first person that cared,” he said.

His father, he said, went to work at 12 years old to help provide for his brothers and sisters. As a young man, Rash was drafted into the Army in 1956. After his military service ended in 1958, he built a successful career at Kewaunee Scientific, working there for more than four decades.

Making sure his father is in a safe place for his remaining years was paramount, Lynne said.

“To be able to ensure that as he takes that last walk in his life, that we can make sure that every day he has something to eat,” he said. “If he needs us, we’re just a few steps away.”

Lynne thanked all of those who played a part in giving his father a secure home.

“You’ve changed a life and you’ve helped somebody in a great way,” he said.

Statesville Mayor Costi Kutteh said that getting Rash into his own home is one of the reasons he is proud fo represent this community.

“I couldn’t be prouder to be mayor of a community where an organization like Purple Heart Homes originated,” he said.

N.C. Sen. Vickie Sawyer and Rep. Jeff McNeely also expressed their pride in making this home a reality.

Sawyer said that often she hears mostly about problems. “But today we are celebrating a solution and that is so exciting,” she said.

McNeely said the home provided to Rash might be the catalyst for providing housing solutions for elderly people across the country. He said elderly parents may need to be closer to their children, but may not be able to live with their children due to space or other issues.

“This is a good idea,” he said. “This may be a pattern that we can model off of.”

John Gallina, who founded Purple Heart Homes with his friend and fellow veteran Dale Beatty, said the community in Statesville continues to inspire the nonprofit year after year.

“It’s Iredell County, North Carolina spirit we want to share with the rest of the world,” he said.

Making sure Rash and other aging and disabled veterans have a safe home is at the core of Purple Heart Homes’ mission. No matter where veterans serve – either at home or overseas – they just want to go home, Gallina said.

“It’s just about having a safe place to call home,” Gallina said. “That’s what this represents.”

Leah Gutierrez, project manger for Purple Heart Homes, said this home is more than just four walls.

“This is someone’s home. This is a veteran that is going to be able to have a roof over his head,” she said. “I hope you understand that all of those who have donated their time, materials, that have volunteered their time — you have given a veteran another home.”

Rash said he’s not quite moved into his new home. That’s probably going to happen around the first of February.

But as Gallina presented him the keys to his home, Rash was absolutely thrilled to have a place to call home and to be close to his family.

“Thank you all and bless you,” he said.

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