New York, New York, April 05, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Tunnel to Towers Foundation is observing Gold Star Spouses Day by delivering mortgage-free homes to five families who lost loved ones in service to our country.
Gold Star Spouses Day is a day to honor these remarkable individuals and the sacrifices they make when a loved one goes to serve our country.
Tunnel to Towers delivered a mortgage-free home to the families of:
- Army Specialist Kurtis Vogel – Virginia Beach, Virginia
- Army Staff Sergeant Dustin DeBoer – Caledonia, Michigan
- Marine Corps Sergeant Joseph Murray – Sneads Ferry, North Carolina
- Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Hillman – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Army Chief Warrant Officer David Bankston – Colorado Springs, Colorado
“Today is a day to recognize the resilience and strength of our Gold Star spouses. Tunnel to Towers wants these families to know their loved one’s service and sacrifice has not been forgotten,” said Frank Siller Chairman and CEO of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.
Army Specialist and Virginia Beach Police Detective Kurtis Vogel, passed away on March 5, 2023, from cancer connected to his military service. SPC Vogel dedicated his life to serving his country and community, first with the Army and then with the Virginia Beach Police Department. He leaves behind his wife, Brianne, and their two children. Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage on his family’s Virginia Beach, Virginia home.
“I am so grateful to receive Tunnel to Towers support on Gold Star Spouse Day. My husband would be elated to know that Tunnel to Towers has supported his family and taken this huge burden off my shoulders. My husband was a proud Army veteran and police officer. He strived to make his country and community a better place and did it with great pride,” said Brianne Vogel.
Army Staff Sergeant Dustin DeBoer enlisted in 2002 and served multiple overseas deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. SSG DeBoer lost his battle with cancer linked to burn pit exposure on July 16, 2012. He leaves behind his wife Emily and their two children. Tunnel to Towers paid off the mortgage on their Caledonia, Michigan home.
“Tunnel to Towers took away some pressure and gave me a little bit of peace during a really difficult time,” said Emily DeBoer, who added, “We are incredibly grateful for Tunnel to Towers and realize what an amazing blessing this is.”
Marine Corps Sergeant Joseph Murray was killed with 15 other service members when their military transport plane crashed in Mississippi on July 10, 2017. He enlisted in the Marines after high school and served two deployments to Afghanistan. He leaves behind his wife Gayle and their four children.
“I’m thankful for Tunnel to Towers. It helps me to feel like we are not forgotten and that Joe is not forgotten,” said Gayle Murray.
On December 12, 2022, United States Army Staff Sergeant Nathan Hillman was murdered while working on base. SSG Hillman joined the Army in 2012 and served his country for a decade. He leaves behind his wife Nichole and two daughters.
“I am eternally grateful to Tunnel to Towers for helping provide me with a home where my girls can grow up,” said Nichole Hillman.
The Tunnel to Towers Gold Star Family Home Program honors the legacy of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice while serving our country by paying off the mortgage or providing the surviving spouses and young children with mortgage-free homes.
Join Tunnel to Towers on its mission to provide mortgage-free homes for Gold Star families by going to T2T.org and donating $11 a month.
About the Tunnel to Towers Foundation
Born from the tragedy of 9/11, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation carries out its mission to “do good,” by providing mortgage-free homes to Gold Star and fallen first responder families with young children and by building specially adapted smart homes for catastrophically injured veterans and first responders. Tunnel to Towers is also committed to eradicating veteran homelessness and helping America Never Forget September 11, 2001.
Visit T2T.org to learn more and follow Tunnel to Towers on Facebook, X, and Instagram.
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