A Marine who lost both of his legs in the line of duty received a personal call from veteran advocate Gary Sinise with life-changing news. The charitable foundation in the actor’s namesake was building a custom smart home for the veteran who sacrificed so much for the country he loves.
Staff Sergeant Jonathon Blank, 32, served in the Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom until 2010. When an improvised explosive device (IED) exploded in the vicinity of Blank and his comrades, he was severely injured. His legs could not be saved.
Blank’s life would never look the same again, but the stoic Marine made sure to keep his spirits high by immersing himself in the activities he loves best: skiing, hunting, and enjoying the great outdoors.
On one of those off days, Blank decided to take back the reins and make an application for assistance. Blank applied for the Gary Sinise Foundation’s RISE program, a program that helps build mortgage-free, custom smart homes for injured veterans and first responders.
In response to his application, Blank got a personal call from Gary Sinise, the actor best known for his role as Vietnam War veteran Lieutenant Dan Taylor in the movie “Forrest Gump.”
“I was accepted,” Blank revealed, adding, “He told me to save his number, and to call him anytime.” That was in early 2019.
Hailing from rural Kansas, Blank joined the local fire department as a teenager. He and his twin brother Linden enlisted in the Marine Corps after graduating high school in 2006; Blank later voluntarily extended his enlistment before being deployed to Afghanistan.
Blank survived the 2010 IED blast, but the explosion severed his legs and inflicted shrapnel damage to both his arm and head. The veteran endured years of surgeries, rehabilitation, and physical therapy.
Blank’s rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center, according to the Gary Sinise Foundation, lasted from December 2010 to March 2014. The Marine still endures chronic pain, sleep issues, and migraines.
At the new home’s design reveal in Midway, Utah, a representative from the Gary Sinise Foundation addressed Blank directly. “On behalf of the Gary Sinise Foundation, our sponsors, our donors, and everybody who is making this house possible, this is gonna be your new house, buddy,” he said.
“It’s such an incredible gift,” Blank said. Members of the Marine’s family as well as his “tough guy” comrades were overcome when they heard the news, he added.
“Even some of those tough guys, when they found out about this, they got pretty emotional about it,” he added.
When Chris Kuban of the Gary Sinise Foundation asked Blank why he had chosen to live in Midway, Blank, having been won over by the impressive landscape of the Wasatch Mountains region, replied, “Have you looked around?”
The project’s contractor Jake Jorgenson expects a challenge; due to the topography in Midway, he said, it’s not easy to build a one-storey home.
The veteran’s new, energy-efficient custom home will be easily controlled by iPad and voice-activated technology, allowing Blank maximum freedom to use the facilities and move around exactly the way he wants to.
The “custom” element of the new build is no understatement, either; Blank has already put in requests for a large kitchen, tall windows, and a room to house his ample collection of hunting gear.
The custom home is expected to be completed in 2020. To date, 58 custom smart homes have been built and gifted to veterans and first responders through the RISE program.
The home, Blank speculated, will not only improve his quality of life; it could even prolong his lifespan. “These injuries do take a significant effect and sadly shorten guys’ lives,” he lamented.
Blank currently lives in a three-storey home. “He’s dragging, hauling all his stuff up and down stairs all the time,” Blank’s girlfriend, Brittney Harris, explained. “It’s going to be such a huge difference for him.”
