Wounded Army veteran, family get free home in Perris

Rob McMillan Image
Saturday, August 6, 2016
Wounded Army veteran, family get free home in Perris
A retired U.S. Army Ranger who was wounded in combat during his 9th tour of duty in the Middle East is receiving a free home for his family in honor of his service.

PERRIS, Calif. (KABC) -- A retired U.S. Army Ranger who was wounded in combat during his 9th tour of duty in the Middle East is receiving a free home for his family in honor of his service.

Oskar Zepeda and his wife and family got their first look Friday at their brand new, fully-furnished home in Perris, thanks to builder Pulte Homes and Operation Finally Home.

"I'm still trying to grasp everything," Zepeda said. "It just feels like it's not real. It hasn't hit me yet that hey, this is my home."

His 8-year-old daughter Sophia was crying with joy when she saw she would have her very own bedroom.

"This is a wonderful gift, and we're appreciative to every person involved in this process," said Oskar's wife Lisa.

Because of Zepeda's wounds, he'll require more surgeries on his legs and will be in a wheelchair during that time, so the house has extra wide doors and other features to accommodate those needs.

"This is a man who's so selfless and who's given us so much, that this is the least we can do to give back to such a deserving veteran," said Chris Edgar with the Pulte Group.