Home for a hero

LAKEWOOD RANCH — Kenneth Katter doesn’t consider himself a hero.

But on Oct. 29, Katter and his family — wife, Patti, and children, Hunter and Savanna — received a hero’s welcome home.

As they pulled up to the driveway of their new house in Lakewood Ranch, their neighbors and friends clapped and cheered alongside representatives of Chase Bank and Building Homes for Heroes, a nonprofit that supports wounded military veterans by giving them new or modified homes.

Chase Bank had donated the Katters’ new home, a foreclosed property, to the nonprofit. Renovations to the property are valued at approximately $85,000.

“We have fallen in love with this family,” said Building Homes for Heroes founder Andy Pujol, whose parents, Jerry and Carolyn Pujol, live in Lakewood Ranch. “Patti is such a strong advocate for her husband, her family and for veterans. We wanted to give them a home. It was an easy decision.”

The Summerfield house, which went into foreclosure in late 2008, sat vacant for about five years. Vines had grown into the home through the roof and the pool had become so murky that the neighbor’s daughter, 18-year-old Tayler Shreve, used it as a source of tadpoles and other critters for a middle-school science project.

“I’m thrilled,” Tayler’s mom, Crystal Shreve, said of the home’s new purpose. “It’s great to know what the organization is doing. The house sat for so long. It’s really pretty now.”

Chase Bank gave title of the home to Building Homes for Heroes in September 2013. The Katters saw the property once in person — for about 30 minutes — before agreeing to move into it one day.

Kenneth Katter said he saw its potential, despite the home’s poor condition at the time.

“We really liked the area here,” he said, adding Patti Katter researched schools and other information. “This was the first time I’d been on this side of the state. It seemed like a nice place to raise a family.”

The warm weather also is better for Kenneth Katters’ injuries, as well as for the health of Savanna, who suffers from Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a group of disorders that include easy bruising, loose joints and a weakness of tissues, Patti Katter said.

Purple Heart
Kenneth Katter enlisted in the U.S. Marines as a 21-year-old. Desert Storm had just started, but the conflict ended before Katter finished boot camp.

He served four years, and then completed college to become a police officer in Saginaw County, Mich., for 10 years.

“I had been thinking about going back into the military again,” Kenneth Katter said. “I felt like it was the right thing to do. I loved my job as a police officer. That was a hard decision for us to make.”

Kenneth Katter re-enlisted, this time joining the U.S. Army.

His unit of about 300 men deployed to Iraq in August 2006.

“I couldn’t watch the news,” Patti Katter said.

Kenneth Katter adds: “We were in a lot of combat. We were always busing doing something. Missions.”

Then, on May 28, 2007, Kenneth Katter was in a vehicle when a bomb planted by an Iraqi insurgent detonated along Route Canal in the village of Zagniyah. It tore into his vehicle. While the truck was being towed away with Katter and his fellow soldiers inside, another IED exploded.

When Katter regained consciousness, he was disoriented. Blood dripped from his ears.

Patti Katter learned of the incident three days later, but knew few details of the severity of her husband’s injuries until he returned home about five months later.

Because his injuries required no amputations, Kenneth had pushed forward, never considering he needed more serious medical treatment, despite seizures, migraines, nerve tremors, neck and back pain and loss of hearing, among other injuries.

“I did not want to come back home,” Kenneth Katter said. “A lot of the guys who were wounded stuck around just like I did.”

More than 100 soldiers in the roughly 300-member unit in which Kenneth Katter served died or suffered injuries during the tour.

Once Kenneth Katter returned home, Patti Katter began advocating for her husband’s health and her family’s well-being.

Kenneth Katter underwent three years’ worth of physical, occupational and other therapies until he was medically retired from the Army in 2010.

Home, sweet home
Less than a week after unloading a truck full of boxes into their new home, the Katters look relaxed as they recline at a table outside by the pool.

They are eager to finish unpacking, but already feel at home.

“Lots of neighbors have stopped by,” Patti Katter said, adding one even brought bread and a pie. “There’s a lot of veterans around here. Everybody’s been super welcoming.”

Kenneth Katter will receive a two-part back surgery next month — one he and his family hopes will ease the daily physical pains leftover from his tour in Iraq.

And the couple’s oldest daughter, Ashlay, who is away at college, also plans to visit.

The Katters plan to attend other welcome-home celebrations for soldiers receiving homes through Building Homes for Heroes, as well.

“This isn’t the end of us being with them,” Kenneth Katter said.

Patti Katter added: “It’s nice to be able to give back to an organization that’s helped us so much.”

Contact Pam Eubanks at [email protected]

Sgt. Kenneth Katter’s commendations:
• Purple Heart

• Army Commendation Medal (2)

• Army Achievement Medal

• Meritorious Unit Commendation

• Navy Unit Commendation

• Army Good Conduct Medal

• Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal

• Marine Corps Reserve Ribbon

• National Defense Service Medal

• Army Commendation Medal-Campaign Star

• Global War on Terrorism Medal

• Army Service Ribbon (2)

• Global War on Terrorism Service Medal

• Humanitarian Service Medal

• Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star