Stratford Veteran, 82, Receives Free Home Repairs From House Of Heroes CT

STRATFORD, CT — An 82-year-old Stratford U.S. Navy Veteran who was on the front lines of potential nuclear war at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 received no-cost repairs from the non-profit veterans service organization House of Heroes Connecticut on Monday.

Stratford native and Navy Seabee Roy Thompson became the 299th veteran served by the organization since its 2012 founding.

Thompson was stationed in Cuba during the intense 13-day faceoff with Russia in October 1962.

“Roy’s battalion built bunkers on the Guantanamo military base’s border with Cuba for Marines to use as defensive positioning against what his unit understood would be a Sunday morning invasion of up to 3,000 Russian/Cuban troops,” according to a news release. “Alone on guard duty with no means of communication, Roy believed his hours on this Earth were numbered.”

“I placed a bayonet on my rifle and prepared to defend,” Thompson recalled 63-plus years later. “I was convinced I would be done in. As we all know there was never an attack.”

The project is being supported by volunteer teams from Project Partners Turner Construction and DiGiorgi Roofing & Siding.

DiGiorgi has already nearly completed a total gutter replacement on the Thompson home, which it will finish next week after Monday’s work by Turner, according to the news release.

On Monday, a Turner Construction volunteer crew worked on rebuilding both a retaining wall and a deteriorating and unsafe patio, as well as resleeving fence posts with PVC for easier maintenance.

“Turner’s support of the project and House of Heroes is part of the company’s annual Founders Month community service initiative. In celebration of Turner’s founding in May 1902, more than 16,000 Turner employees worldwide are volunteering their time, skills and resources to support community service projects throughout the month in the communities where they live and work,” the news release states.

Monday’s work featured a ceremony honoring Thompson’s service to the nation, including the presentation of an American flag and the sharing of Thompson’s story with the team of volunteers.

A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, House of Heroes Connecticut recognizes, honors and serves military and public safety veterans and/or their surviving spouses in need for their sacrificial service to America through the provision of one-day, no-cost home repairs focused on safety and accessibility. The Connecticut Chapter, which will serve its 300th Veteran since its 2012 founding next Saturday, May 23, is part of a national organization founded in Columbus, Georgia in 2000 that has served more than 2,400 Veterans across the country. For more information, visit www.hohct.org.