36 Year Old Army Veteran Seeks Grant Money To Buy Home For Family

by Tony Perry
(Fort Lee, VA, USA)

My name is Tony Perry. I am a 36-year-old disabled Army veteran of the Iraq war.

I've been married nine years to a beautiful woman named Bakeia and we have two beautiful daughters Kaneesha 15 and Kiyana 8.

I joined the Army in May of 2002 and was stationed in Fort Stewart, Georgia as an Infantry Man.

Shortly after that I was deployed to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom returning after an eight-month deployment.

Not long after our return I got word we would be deploying again in January 2005 for a year, which we did.

During that deployment I was part of my Brigade Commanders Security Team as a 50 cal. gunner on the Commander's truck.

I was struck by two IEDs with-in a two-day period, once on July 29th 2005 and the other August 9th 2005.

This resulted in a number of injuries, a Purple Heart and eventually medical retirement in August 2010.

I am now living on Fort Lee in Virginia where I got retired at and I am trying to find a home for my family to settle down in.

As a result of the IED blast, I now live with: PTSD, depression, post-concussion syndrome (headaches), injuries to my back and knees, and arthritis in my neck, back and both knees.

Due to those injuries, I am very limited to how active I can be in my family and personal life. Also I recently found out I have sleep apnea.

I have been having a hard time trying to make ends meet every month because I have not been able to find work due to my physical restrictions from my injuries.

I am on multiple medications for pain, depression, anxiety, focus and arthritis. I also use a hand-held TENS machine to help with my back pain.

All of my medication makes me sleepy and it is hard for me to get a lot of things done.

I have been trying endlessly to find work but due to my injuries it has been so hard. All I have received were rejections.

I would try working from home but I don't have a working computer in the house. I have to use a computer in a few different places on Fort Lee.

I am now receiving SSDI and have been getting support from Veteran Organizations like the American Legion and the VFW to name a few to help get bills paid and get food for my family.

I am in serious need of a grant to buy a home for my family because we don't have a lot of time left where I now live on Fort Lee and I don't want to have my family out on the streets.