RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) – A retired Army veteran who suffered severe injuries during his military service and is now battling leukemia received a life-changing surprise Wednesday afternoon: a brand-new, mortgage-free home in Richmond Hill.
Retired Army Chief Warrant Officer Steve Smith and his wife, Jenifer, were welcomed into their custom, three-bedroom home in the Del Webb Savannah at Heartwood community during an emotional ceremony surrounded by community leaders, veterans and family.
“It’s like you literally go out, get a lottery card, and you’re like, ‘I won,’” Smith said.
Service and life-altering injuries
Smith enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1990, dedicating 13 years of service before being medically and honorably discharged in 2003.
While deployed to Kuwait that same year, Smith was performing a high-altitude night parachute jump when his chute became entangled and partially collapsed. Unable to deploy his reserve chute in time, he plummeted roughly 200 feet to the ground in a semi-assisted fall…