King Oaks

Operation Finally Home

King Oaks To Be Home to Wounded Veteran

King Oaks has teamed with local builders in the Bryan-College Station Home Builders Association to support Operation FINALLY HOME, providing a homesite and mortgage-free, custom built home to a wounded veteran.

This project is a community effort through non-profit organization Operation FINALLY HOME, which was established in 2005 by 2010 CNN Top 10 Hero of the Year Dan Wallrath. The organization has provided more than 40 homes to wounded veterans and widows of servicemen across the country. This will be the first home built in the Bryan-College Station area.

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Sgt. Monte Bernardo

While serving his second tour of duty in Afghanistan on July 4, 2012, Sgt. Monte Bernardo and his platoon came under fire from two sides, forcing them to take cover on a berm. Sgt. Bernardo ordered his team to return fire then placed himself between them to direct their fire. The spot he chose was on top of an IED, which imploded.

Sgt. Bernardo, age 30, was critically injured by the IED blast, resulting in the loss of three limbs, including both legs, which were amputate above the knees, and his left hand. He is currently undergoing treatment and working toward recovery at Walter Reed Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.

Sgt. Bernardo joined the Army in September 2006 at the age of 24 entering basic training as an artilleryman. During his tenure in the military, he has worked extremely hard to become a model Non Commissioned Officer, soldier and paratrooper, resulting in numerous awards, Jumpmaster and Air Assault skill badges as well as a Purple Heart.

Sgt. Bernardo has an 11-year-old daughter, Felicity, and hopes to study aerospace engineering at Texas A&M University. His brother, Frank Bernardo, is a 2004 graduate of Texas A&M.