SPC Grady Bendel

Lexington, NC

Grady Bendel joined the military in 2009 to give his family a better life.

On October 13, 2009, during his first combat deployment, Army Specialist Bendel, a Cavalry Scout, was serving with the 8th Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, when his truck hit an improvised explosive device (IED) in Spin Boldak, Afghanistan. He sustained damage to his right leg, nerve damage, and a traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the blast.

After several years of attempted limb salvage, Grady made the difficult decision to have doctors amputate his right leg below the knee.

Currently, Grady homeschools his two daughters, Jaiden and Madison. In his free time, he enjoys fishing, hunting, and off-roading. Friends with Veteran home recipient, Army SPC Jeremy Young, Grady has seen firsthand the impact an HFOT home has on severely injured Veterans and their families. His current multilevel non-adapted home is not wheelchair accessible, making it difficult for him to rest and recover when not wearing his prosthetic limb.

Receiving a specially adapted custom home from Homes For Our Troops will give Grady the ability to access every part of the home in his wheelchair. He looks forward to the open floor plan and accessible shower, features that will make life less challenging. “Having a specially adapted custom home will help daily life become easier, and for the first time allow me to focus on raising my daughters.”

Grady is choosing to build his home in South Carolina to live close to family and friends.

Grady would like HFOT donors and supporters to know how much his new home impacts him and his family. “To have a home where I can live and recover comfortably means so much to us, I cannot express enough gratitude for the positive impact this home will make.”

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