Renovations begin at amputee vet's LI home

Starting over after the blast that took both his legs has been an 18-month ordeal for James Byler.

But life in the Huntington home the young Marine officer grew up in will soon be easier -- after a remodel funded by a nonprofit customizes the house, making it wheelchair-accessible.

"As my dad says, sometimes good things come out of something horrible," Byler said. "If you told me that 18 months ago, I wouldn't have believed you, but now, looking back on it all, a lot of things start to make sense."

Byler, 26, a first lieutenant and former infantry platoon leader, was approached by Long Island-based Building Homes for Heroes while recovering from an October 2010 roadside bomb explosion. He had been on patrol in Afghanistan's Helmand province when the blast occurred.

In his front yard Saturday morning, the Marine wielded a gold-painted shovel for the groundbreaking ceremony, flanked by his parents, Phil and Janet, and dozens of volunteers.

Then contractors got to work.

The $250,000 renovation, which will create an accessible ground-floor mini-apartment for Byler, should be completed before the Fourth of July -- the first of 10 housing projects planned for veterans this year, according to Andy Pujol, the nonprofit's founder and president.

Pujol said the group built or remodeled five homes last year for wounded veterans across the country.

Today, Byler can walk with his prosthetics and the help of a cane, but for months he spent up to five hours a day in physical therapy learning how to use his core to walk.

He remembers the blast in Afghanistan well -- the high-pitched ringing in his ears, being momentarily airborne, the dust and the blood.

"I could see I was missing both my legs right off the bat," he said.

The phantom pains in his legs, he said, have eased over time to a tingling sensation.

Eventually, the Purdue graduate wants to return to school to earn his master's in finance or economics. He also wants to move into his own place one day -- another gift that Pujol has happily promised.

"It's stuff like this that keeps your spirits up; just to see that people do care and they want to help," Byler said.

"I want to be home for now -- until I get back on my feet, figuratively speaking."