Kitchen appliances donated to wounded vet
Bill Grogn, left, of Stewart Manor, shakes the hand of First Lieutenant James Byler, center, while Stephen Grogan, of Lynbrook pats him on the back. Chris Hynes, of Lynbrook, stands to the right and volunteer firefighters from the Nassau County operation wounded warrior project, the Building Homes for Heroes group, and P.C. Richards, present Byler with brand new kitchen appliances at his Huntington Home. (Aug. 25, 2012) Credit: Steven Pfost
When James Byler pulled up to his childhood home in Huntington Saturday morning, he knew he was there to accept a surprise donation -- but amid the wave of support shown to him since his return from Afghanistan, the Marine veteran couldn't even begin to guess what it was.
Gathered with a small crowd, Byler, 27, watched as a member of the Nassau County Firefighters -- Operation Wounded Warriors snapped open the back of the P.C. Richard & Son's truck to reveal thousands of dollars worth of new kitchen equipment. His eyes widened.
"Are you serious? Oh my God," he said.
Byler, who lost both of his legs when he stepped on an improvised explosive device during a 2010 tour in Afghanistan, was chosen earlier this year by local nonprofit Building Homes for Heroes to receive a $250,000 renovation to his parents' home, a job that's still in the works.
The new kitchen came courtesy of P.C. Richard and the firefighters' nonprofit, which raises money for wounded vets.
"We went to P.C. Richard to buy all the appliances, and we told them what we were doing and who it was for, and they decided that they wanted to split the cost with us," spokesman Steve Grogan said.
"This is amazing and overwhelming, as usual," Byler said. "It just doesn't stop -- this community's giving -- it's incredible."
Byler walked around the truck with his cane and without any help.
He attributes his strength to living in New York City. Every day, the Purdue University grad treks across lower Manhattan on prosthetic legs as he works toward a master's degree in business from New York University.
He'll live in the home with his parents -- Phil and Janet -- after he has completed his studies.
"Manhattan is not exactly a handicapped-friendly place, so just getting around is kind of good PT ," Byler said.
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