Charity builds home for Marine injured in Afghanistan

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) - Several dozen people gave up their time this Veteran's Day weekend to help a Marine from Mobile, who was seriously wounded fighting for the country.

Corporal Christopher Montgomery is getting a house built, thanks to a caring organization, and concerned people. More than a hundred volunteers showed up Saturday to help beautify a house built, in particular, for Montgomery.

Montgomery lost both of his legs when he stepped on a roadside bomb while serving his third tour in Afghanistan. He said he's thankful for the help.

Montgomery said, "You can't really put it into words, honestly.  Its unbelievable.  All these people come out to help a total stranger, you know what I mean? Its awesome."

PHOTOS: Cpl. Montgomery's Homes for our Troops build

The house was built courtesy of a national non-profit organization called, "Homes for Our Troops."

The group builds handicap-accessible homes for wounded troops, and gives them to the troops, free-of-charge.

Larry Gill with "Homes for Our Troops" said, "We're doing the volunteer day. We've been doing all the landscaping, the sod, the flowers, the trees, shrubs, raking, cleaning."

Corporal Montgomery learned he's inspired a lot of people who gave up their Saturday to help. Tiffany Bliss was one of the volunteers.

She said, "Chris has touched my heart. I work at a restaurant that he comes in to a lot, and I have a cousin named Chris that was in the service. He was coming in and out, and it just really, really touched home with me."

Many Marines came out to help, too, including Sergeant Gwyn Howard, who served in Vietnam.

Howard said Corporal Montgomery "has given more than we could ever give for him, and that's what brings people out like this. That's why I come out, to give back to him, which we'll never give back what he gave for us."

Soon, Corporal Montgomery will move into a house that's quickly becoming a home.

He said, "I retired from the Marine Corps October 30, so, yeah, I'm out. I'm back home. I don't have any more treatment, so, now, I'm just trying to you know start a new life."  

In 2010, while Cpl. Montgomery was on his third tour in Afghanistan, he stepped on a roadside bomb which exploded. Both his legs had to be amputated.

FOX10 News Reporter Steve Alexander is covering the event, and will have a complete report on FOX10 News at 9 p.m.