VIDEO: Carpenters, Contractor Surprise Wounded Veteran, Family with New Home, Job

Christopher Holcomb served the nation as a Marine in Afghanistan, spearheading the global fight against terrorism. He also bore the scars of being in a forward combat position, sustaining a serious injury during his Afghanistan deployment. And like so many wounded veterans, Holcomb and his family’s re-entry into civilian life in his home state Michigan has been challenging, especially in the years following the 2008 recession.

On March 6, members of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights joined the Taylor community in helping make the Holcombs’ transition a little easier. Around noon and in bone-chilling temperatures, carpenters, volunteers, local businesses and well-wishers surprised Christopher, his wife Darcy and their 3-year-old daughter Veyda with a new home in Taylor.
And for Christopher Holcomb, 25, the struggle to find a good job also ended that day, when he was presented with a “letter of intent to hire” from construction company Barton Malow through the national Helmets to Hardhats program. And because he said he always wanted to become a professional carpenter, the employment offer also kicked off Holcomb’s training as an apprentice in the MRCC, ready to leap into Michigan’s recovering construction industry.