Opelousas wounded veteran gifted mortgage-free home

OPELOUSAS, La. (KLFY) -- Joseph Colomb is a retired wounded Army veteran. After serving in both the U.S. Navy and The U.S. Army, he is now receiving a gift of a lifetime.

Colomb is amongst many wounded veterans across the nation who qualified for a free home or vehicle because of their service.

He served in the U.S. Navy and after many years of service, he received an honorable discharge.
Colomb said he felt he had not served enough. He then transferred to the Army where he was later wounded in combat.

After retiring from the military and being away from his family and friends for so long, he decided to move back home to Opelousas.

Colomb says he applied for the Homes4WoundedHeroes program to receive the free home. Little did he know, a year later he would be a homeowner of a newly built house.

"There are no real words to describe getting a free house. It's something I never expected," explained Colomb after touring his new home.

He said he's now focused on enjoying his new living space with his friends and family. His father died a year ago, and Colomb said that although he may not be here physically, he knows his father is proud.

"It's unbelievable. I'm going to be able to spend a lot of time with my mom and my sisters. I'm also going to have my children running around here."