Wounded veteran gifted mortgage-free home in Pittsboro

PITTSBORO, N.C. (WTVD) -- A wounded warrior got to spend his first night in his new mortgage-free home in Pittsboro.

U.S. Marine Cpl. David Tupper received the keys to his new Chatham County home thanks to the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

During his first combat deployment while in the Army, Tupper's vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), leaving him with a brain injury.

Determined to continue to serve his country, Tupper enlisted in the Marines in 2004, and in July 2012 while on patrol in Afghanistan, he was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade and suffered a spinal injury.

His new home is designed to help Tupper live independently. It includes smart technology that allows him to operate lights, the thermostat and a security system via an app.

"This home will be a great blessing to me and my family," Tupper said.

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The Tunnel to Towers Foundation held a dedication ceremony for Tupper on April 14. Tupper, his wife, Jade, and their five children were escorted to their new home by the Patriot Guard Riders of North Carolina and the Chatham County Sheriff's Office.

Chatham County Sheriff Mike Roberson was there to help welcome the Tupper family to their new home.

"The Tunnel to Towers Foundation has a mission to show gratitude to the sacrifice and service of the U.S. Armed Forces returning from war," Roberson said. "I can't think of a bigger honor than that. This home allows Cpl. David Tupper to provide his beautiful family with a comfortable living space that offers safety, security, and functionality."

During the ceremony, members of the Chatham County Sheriff's Office helped raise an American flag on a pole in the Tupper family's front yard.

The nonprofit organization Tunnel to Towers provides mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first-responder families as well as smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders.