Roy Exum
It has been a couple of years since the Chattanooga community, in its finest hour, built a beautiful house in one frantic but fun week for Army Sgt. Andrew Smith and his young wife, Tori. Hundreds of volunteers gathered in Apison for this “Wounded Warrior” and, when the front-door keys were presented, grown men openly wept.
Andrew’s legs were blown away by a bomb on his first patrol in Afghanistan and the look on his face when he and his wife first saw the house showed an immediate transfer from helpless to hope. It was simply spectacular.
Tomorrow afternoon another set of keys will be handed over to a United States Marine in the tiny community of Speedwell, Tn. It is fully expected to be the biggest thing that has happened in Claiborne County, which butts up against Kentucky in the upper eastern part of the state, since the “biggest hotel in the United Sates” opened its doors in 1892. Seriously, an eccentric Englishman built a 700-room hotel in nearby Harrogate that was four stories high, had a lobby that was 75 feet square, and a dining room 160 feet long.
The complex was lavish. It included a hospital, a sanitarium, and a renowned saloon called “The First Chance – Last Change.” The only problem was that folks had no easy way to get there and, with a staff-guest ratio of 15-1, the hotel would have been a bigger flop than it was had not Lincoln Memorial University been borne on the exact spot after the hotel and a saloon were dismantled.
The fact that nobody could get to rural Claiborne County back then was hardly lost on anyone this week as firefighters (read a huge crowd of New York City’s finest who saved thousands during 9/11) from all across the country joined patriots, friends and others from the Great Volunteer State to build a handicap-accessible house for Lance Cpl. Cody Evans and his mother. Today at 1 o’clock Cumberland Gap will have its finest moment and, curiously, Chattanooga will be right there.
After so many delighted in Andrew Smith’s “christening” the new house as he and Tori gleefully fired automatic assault rifles into a bank outside the house (“Whoo-WAH!”), a foundation was shared by the Smith family, “Honoring The Sacrifice” that helps our service men who have lost limbs due to IEDs.
At last year’s banquet nine “Wounded Warriors” shared in the glory of the night, two who had lost both their arms and legs. The ‘Wounded Warriors,” to the man, had such an invincible spirit and such a positive outlook on life that the banquet was quite successful. Earlier this week, Andrew’s dad – Todd Smith – took Marty Woody and a carload of others to Speedwell to lend their expertise and experience.
The Smiths also took a chunk of “Honor the Sacrifice” donations in honor of Lance Cpl. Evans and his mother. “They are basically a poor Cumberland Gap family and the house will totally change their lives,” said an organizer, while Cody, a Marine I remind you, said, “I’ve never seen the effort like these people put out.” That was accented by the fact at 1:00 o'clock one early morning this week there were 100 people painting, caulking, digging in bushes, installing electricity and goodness knows what else.
“It is the most humbling thing that I will ever know,” he added for a Knoxville TV crew while his mother, Regina, admitted she was taken aback when firefighters started arriving from every part of the nation. “I can’t begin to describe how proud I am of my country.”
The “Honoring the Sacrifice” Foundation has just announced Lt. Col. Allen West, a 22-year veteran of the Army and now a well-known columnist, will be the speaker at this year’s banquet on July 15. Because last year’s event was totally sold out, this year’s event will be held at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
“As the foundation has grown, we’ve been fortunate in helping more severely-wounded warriors than we had hoped,” said spokesman Marty Woody, “and this summer’s banquet – with Col. West – should be our biggest ever. We have invited more Wounded Warriors than before because they get such a thrill out of it but what they feel is nothing compared to what those who support them feel."
For me,” Woody added, “it is almost like Christmas!”
Sponsorships, table reservations, and contributions can be made by visiting www.honoringthesacrice.org Those desiring further information can email info@honoringthesacrice.org and those wishing to use a mailing address may write to the foundation at P.O. Box 21806. The foundation’s telephone is 423 910-9129.
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“You have never lived until you have almost died, and for those who chose to fight, life has a special flavor the protected will never know.” – Capt. R. S. Kirti Chakra.
royexum@aol.com