SSG Christopher Gordon

Groveland, FL

Mission Accomplished on April 7, 2018

 
Christopher Gordon joined the Army several years after high school. He went to college, and worked, but was looking for something more meaningful, and enlisted in 1997 as a tanker. His first duty station was Hohenfels, Germany. After four years there, he re-enlisted into a logistics specialty and was assigned to 1-5 Infantry, in a Stryker brigade of the 25th Division at Fort Lewis, Washington. He deployed with that unit to Iraq in 2004.

On March 13, 2005, Staff Sergeant Gordon was serving as the company supply sergeant with his unit in Tal-Afar, Iraq, when a roadside bomb hit his vehicle. The explosion resulted in the loss of his right leg above the knee and severe damage to his left leg and left arm.

SSG Gordon spent a year recovering at Walter Reed Medical Center, undergoing several surgeries and learning how to walk with a prosthetic leg. His health and pain level varies from day to day, and on the bad days, he resorts to using crutches to aid in his mobility.

Now medically retired, Christopher is studying graphic design at Valencia State College and enjoys golf and therapeutic horseback riding. He also spends time supporting other wounded Veterans. However, for more than a decade, Christopher endured the challenges of living in a non-ADA compliant home. Receiving a specially adapted custom home from Homes For Our Troops with wider doorways and smooth, durable floors throughout is beneficial to Christopher when using his crutches or wheelchair. Additionally, the roll-in shower and accessible bathroom allow him to bathe and shower safely.

Christopher says receiving a donated Homes For Our Troops home adapted to his injuries is a tremendous motivating factor, and helps him become more involved with his community and Veteran activities. He has paid it forward by attending various HFOT events and volunteering at the National Veterans Wheelchair Games in Orlando. Christopher says his home has given him a new outlook on life and created so many blessings, including the birth of his second son in 2019. He says having another child would have been more challenging in his prior living space. Christopher married his wife, Amy in October 2022. “I have a renewed sense of self and I am getting better every day, both physically and mentally,” he says.

Originally from New York City, Christopher chose to build his home in Groveland, Florida. The location is close to other family members and the warm weather is better for his injuries.

Christopher says he wants all HFOT donors and supporters to know they are making a difference. “Being provided a specially adapted custom home is truly life-changing. There are not enough words to express my gratitude,” he says.

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