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Derrick Companies Lauded for Home for Injured Iraqi War Vet
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Injured Iraq War veteran John Kriesel and his family cut the ribbon to their new home built by Derrick Custom Homes of New Richmond, Wis. | Though he suffered horrific injuries in the Iraq War in late 2006, Sgt. John Kriesel never wanted a free ride when he finally returned home to Minnesota.
He lost both of his legs in an IED attack in Fallujah. His left leg was severed above the knee, his right leg, below. He also suffered shrapnel wounds to his intestines and a broken left forearm in the attack.
Two fellow National Guardsmen, both good friends, were killed in the Dec. 2, 2006 bombing.
The family home Kriesel returned to after recovering from his wounds was not handicapped-accessible, though he badly needed one that was. Shortly after coming home, the offers to build a new home “for free” poured in ― but almost as quickly, most faded away.
In stepped Bill and Ron Derrick, of Derrick Companies and its subsidiary Derrick Custom Homes based in New Richmond, Wis.
“Bill specifically said, ‘We want to build your dream home,’” Kriesel said. “He was very upfront and told me, ‘We won’t be able to do this for free, but we will be able to do it at cost.’”
'It's, Honest-to-God, My Dream Home'
It was a little more than a year after the IED attack, around Christmas 2007, when the Kriesel family ― John, his wife, Katie, and their sons Elijah and Broden ― moved into their new, handicap-accessible home. The home features 2,400 square feet of living space on one floor, plus an elevator that leads to an expansive basement “man cave” entertainment area with a pool table, high-definition television, poker table and bar as well as two guest bedrooms.
“I will never move from this house,” said Kriesel. “It’s, honest-to-god, my dream home.”
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John Kriesel and his wife Katie enjoy a neighborhood party in their honor. |
Kriesel requested that his home be built with a basement large enough for entertaining, Derrick said, because he wanted “a place where he could have people over and show his thanks. He feels indebted to a lot of people.”
The Kriesel family has a mortgage of about one-third of the value of the home because of donations of time and material from Derrick Custom Homes employees, its owner and the trade contractors and suppliers who helped build it.
For its efforts on behalf of the Kriesel family, the home builder received the Bronze 2007 Builder Achievement Award for Outstanding Community Service from the National Housing Endowment at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando last month.
A Ready Supply of Help
“I truly believe you change the world by doing acts of kindness,” said Derrick. “Number one, we didn’t do this for the recognition. In fact, we didn’t put a job site sign on the project. You’ve got to start with the right attitude.”
Sgt. Kriesel “has been a greater blessing for us than we have been for him,” he added. “He is an outgoing person. He is a gracious person. He does not ever speak a bad word about his situation."
Marshalling the help to build the home wasn’t difficult, even in the current housing downturn, Derrick said. “We had many, many people step forward and say they wanted to help.”
One call to an area Redi-Mix supplier was all it took to get the concrete lined up. The supplier’s sole stipulation was for the driveway to be built with concrete.
Kriesel currently works at the Twin Cities sports talk radio station KFAN, where he hopes to become a local sports radio personality.
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Mark Tipton, vice chair of the National Housing Endowment and 1991 NAHB president (left); Ron Derrick, of Derrick Custom Homes; and Robert Mitchell, endowment trustee and 2000 NAHB president at the Builder Achievement Awards for Outstanding Community Service ceremony at the International Builders' Show. | He said the loss of his legs has been difficult, but it is the death of his two friends, Bryan McDonough and Corey Rystad, that ultimately haunts him.
“The legs? Whatever. I can get around somewhat. But my friends cannot be replaced,” Kriesel said. “I know there’s nothing else I could’ve done, but it still hurts.”
In honor of winning the silver builder achievement award, Derrick Custom Homes received a $2,500 donation from the endowment to give to the charity of its choice, the Salvation Army Grace Place/Faith House homeless shelters.
Seven Other Builders Honored at IBS
Seven other builders were honored with 2007 Builder Achievement Awards for Outsanding Community Service during a presentation at the builders' show last month.
The awards were established through a grant to the endowment by Isaac Heimbinder, chairman of Rockville, Md.-based BuildTopia, a provider of Web-based construction management software for home builders, and his wife, Sheila.
For more information about the awards, e-mail Gwyn Donohue at NAHB, or call her at 800-368-5242 x8447.
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