Chase Matthews receives keys to his new home

Above Left, Larry Gill presents Chase Matthews with the keys to his new home as general contractor Keith Young, American Legion vice commander Rick Gill and Three Rivers Home Builders Assoc. Marty Kares look on. Right, Chase Matthews opens the door to the house built especially for him and his family.-Rae Wagoner/Herald Ledger

With a chilly mist falling, dozens crowded the lawn of a new home on Ky. 373 to applaud as Chase Matthews and his young family received the keys to that home.
Matthews — flanked by his wife, Jennifer, and daughter, Sarah — was overcome with emotion after Homes for Our Troops representative Larry Gill presented him with the keys.
Homes for Our Troops, a national organization, in conjunction with nearly 30 area craftsmen, designed, built and equipped the home to meet Matthews’ special needs.
“It means everything to me,” Matthews said in a brief interview after inviting the crowd into his home. “It’s extremely beautiful.” He added that the home’s special design will allow him to get around “and do everything.”
Besides their daughter, Sarah, the Matthewses have a 1-month-old son, Owen.
Chase Matthews, 24, lost both legs and partial use of his left arm when an improvised explosive device detonated under the Humvee he was driving in Iraq on March 19, 2007. And last May, Homes for Our Troops announced it would build a home for him in conjunction with Three Rivers Homebuilders Association. It was the 47th home the organization has completed in five years, Gill said.
“It’s extremely nice to know that there are people who are wanting to help veterans and it’s really nice to know there are people out there who care and want to put forth an effort to help,” Matthews said. “It’s wonderful.”
Several area and state dignitaries took part in the celebration and some presented Matthews with plaques in recognition and appreciation of his sacrifice.
Keith Young , a Kuttawa contractor and longtime friend of the Matthews family, volunteered as the general contractor.
“It all went well; we had lots of volunteers,” he said at the ceremony.
Lyon American Legion Post 68, which hosted the keys presentation ceremony, raised $10,000 with which members furnished the home.
Rick Gill, Post 68’s vice commander, said it was a wonderful day. “It’s a soldier day; it’s raining,” he said jokingly. “We started with this effort probably six months ago when we first learned of the house building project. I presented my thoughts to our membership, and I said, it’s the right thing to do — it’s our charter as an American Legion to support our veterans and I think we ought to furnish that house and provide whatever assistance we can in completing that house.
“The whole audience put up their hands, and said, ‘We’re going to do whatever we have to do,” he said. “Six months later, the house is here and furnishings look pretty good, and the community stood behind it.”
Larry Gill said Matthews had reached out to Homes for our Troops, and explained that he and his young family were living in a mobile home.
“Being a bilateral amputee, he certainly qualified for our assistance, so that was how we got involved,” he said, noting that building the home took not quite eight months. “Somebody asked me what my perceived goal for our organization was, and I said, ‘Unofficially our goal is to be out of business, but as long as these men and women are coming home in this condition, we’ve got a lot of work to do.’”
Marty Kares, executive officer of Three Rivers Homebuilders Association, presented Gill with a $13,146.74 check for Homes for Our Troops.
Among the dignitaries at the ceremony was Jonathan McMackin, the fellow soldier who pulled Matthews from the mangled vehicle the day he was wounded.
“I had been in combat before, but it was by far the worst thing that had happened,” McMackin said, noting they been in the region “11 months and 26 days.”