Gulf War Veteran Gets his Leaky Roof Fixed for Free

By Evelyn Witterholt. 

The navy veteran was thankful to get his roof repaired thanks to a partnership between two roofing companies and Habitat for Humanity. 

James Wright is a Gulf War navy veteran who served as a helicopter mechanic for two decades. While he is originally from Alabama, he bought his San Diego home in 1995 and has lived there ever since. Although he retired in 2004, his community has still been showing gratitude to him for his service, most recently with a brand-new roof. 

James’ roof began to leak three years ago due to heavy rain in the area. Every time it would rain, water leaked through the roof into his bedroom, kitchen and living room. Because he lives there with his wife and two kids, this caused him a lot of concern. “(I was) very nervous because you know that kind of raises my antenna,” he told ABC 10 News. “It’s a lot of money to replace roofs and I just don’t have money” 

He reached out to the San Diego Habitat for Humanity veteran services program for assistance. Thanks to their partnership with Guardian Roofs and the Owens Corning Roof Deployment Project, his roof was replaced shortly after he contacted them. Since its inception in 2016, the Roof Deployment Project has replaced 300 roofs for veterans all over the United States.  

Joe Bick, a foreman for Habitat for Humanity, says the work they are doing for James and other veterans means a lot to them. “To be able to give back and make a safe livable house for those who make a safe livable community and country for us is something that we’re very excited to do,” he told ABC 10 News. 

Thanks to this partnership, in a short amount of time James’ roof was as good as new. "I was really excited because it is a tremendous experience and it takes the burden off of me," James told CBS 8. "I really appreciate them doing this as a, you know, as a thank you for my service to our country." 

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About Evelyn 

Evelyn works as a writer for RoofersCoffeeShop and AskARoofer. When she isn’t writing about roofing, she’s either at the gym lifting weights or curled up on the couch watching a movie. 

Photo credit: ABC 10