NC Soldier who lost leg in Iraq gifted new home in Harnett County: Operation Homecoming

HARNETT COUNTY, N.C. (WTVD) -- A soldier got the keys to a new home Thursday thanks to Operation: Coming Home.

The special event for Army Golden Knight Staff Sgt. George Perez happened in Harnett County.

It was a celebration, a concert, and an air show all in one.

Before the home tour and announcement, The 82nd All American Chorus gave a warm and electric performance in honor of Perez.

His story is one of perseverance.

In 2003, Perez was deployed to Iraq. Within weeks, Perez was caught in the blast of an improvised explosive device (IED) and lost a leg below the knee.

After a year of recovery, Perez got a prosthetic leg and was redeployed to Afghanistan, jumping from planes with only one leg and his prosthetic.

He went on to join the Army Parachute Team for 11 years, successfully completing thousands of jumps.

On Thursday, he received the 26th home built under Operation: Coming Home.

"A lot of people don't understand how much this means to some of us cause a lot of us been stuck in a, what do you call it, like a circle," Perez said. "Something like this happens, it's like a wakeup call, like you know what, it's time to start new and time to better yourself and your family."

Perez said it was an emotional day and he was happy to be living in his new home.