PORT ANGELES —A crowd of about 80 people welcomed former Marine Cpl. Ammon Lang and his family to their new home on the North Olympic Peninsula earlier this month.
Veterans, government officials and residents watched as the keys to the free four-bedroom, two-bath home east of Port Angeles “built with special accommodations for Lang’s war injuries” were given to the veteran; his wife, Kiri; and their two young sons.
“I’ve had nine months to dread this day, where I have to stand in front of a bunch of people I don’t necessarily know, but I’d like to get to know you all,” said Ammon Lang, 27, getting some chuckles from the crowd. “I don’t have the words to describe how this feels, the gratitude I have for all of you.”
The family was ready to move in, having driven their belongings from their previous home in Kansas.
Lang stepped on an improvised explosive device June 11, 2011, while serving in Afghanistan. The blast destroyed his left leg up to just above the knee and forced the amputation of his right leg just below the knee.
Massachusetts-based Homes for Our Troops organized the 2,700-square-foot home’s construction starting April 27 and gave it to the Langs free of cost and mortgage.
American Legion and Patriot Guard riders flanked either side of the Langs’ asphalt driveway on Hidden Highlands Drive, off O’Brien Road, recently, as the family drove past American flags tilted in their honor.
The home, built almost entirely with volunteer labor and materials, includes 155 special features, such as countertops high enough for a wheelchair to roll under, adapted to Ammon Lang’s needs.
“People came from all walks of life and all different businesses,” said Garret DelaBarre, president of the North Peninsula Building Association.
The association led fundraising efforts with Homes for Our Troops and got Sequim-based Hines Construction involved as the volunteer lead contractor.
“Whether (the) contribution was significant or otherwise, the community really came together,” said Jerry Hin es, Hines Construction owner.
“We’re really pleased to make this home a reality.”
Why did the Langs choose to relocate to the Peninsula?
“Port Angeles has pretty much everything we like,” Ammon Lang said, referring to the nearby mountains and salt water.
Ammon enjoys hunting and fishing, Kiri Lang added, and hopes to do more once settled in their new home.
Their oldest son, Alexander, is turning 5 in March and likely will start kindergarten in the fall in Port Angeles, she said.
Alexander’s brother, Killian, is 3. Both will soon have another sibling, due in a few months.
Lang said he plans to start a “maker’s space” business focusing on woodworking, in which people can work on individual projects in a cooperative atmosphere.
Throughout the tour of the home after the ceremony, neighbors of the Langs introduced themselves and offered to help in any way they could.
“Neighbors have really come out of the woodwork,” Ammon Lang said. “It’s been really nice.”
During the ceremony, the Homes for Our Troops flag in the front yard was lowered and the U.S. flag was raised.
The project, begun with an April 27 groundbreaking ceremony, was completed mostly with volunteer labor and donated materials, said FaLeana Wech, former executive officer of the building association.
Wech said Hines Construction of Sequim, owned by her father, Jerry Hines, organized the work of more than 90 subcontractors and suppliers and more than 100 individual volunteers.
“We decided that this was a good cause (that) we should be involved in, and we took it on,‚“ Hines said. “We really did it for the veteran and not for ourselves. I’ve built 30-some homes, and this is the hardest one I’ve ever built.”
The project required stringent inspections and approval by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs, Hines explained.
Other adaptations include kitchen sink and bathroom countertops high enough to allow a wheelchair to roll under them, a lower circuit-breaker box and a specially accessible shower, Hines said.
For more information, contact the organization at www.homesforourtroops.org.