Vietnam veteran's house gets long overdue repairs

TYLER, TX (KLTV) - A Tyler man who is a Vietnam veteran says is humbled by what East Texans are doing to help him. Terry Cuba has a new roof over his head, thanks to Habitat for Humanity. Cuba is one of two local veterans selected for a program that helps build and renovate U.S. veteran's homes.

Eight years ago, a tree fell on his house.

"It covered the top of the house and bent and broke a lot of shingles," Cuba said. "It messed up things."

The roof stayed covered with black plastic until Habitat for Humanity showed up this week to help.

"GAF has a grant with habitat where they'll provide shingles and labor to put a new roof on, so that was the first process that I did," said Habitat for Humanity director of construction Raimund Gideon. "I utilized those grants to get the roof back on to where water was not getting in the house."

Cuba and his family have lived in this house on Meadow Lane for the last 30 years but they fell on some hard times.

"In the 70s I went in the Marine Corps and I got a medical out of there," Cuba said. "I'm out here trying to work and raise a family."

When the roof was damaged he didn't have insurance or money to fix it.

"My wife was sick; she had cancer. I was sick myself," Cuba said. "We were struggling so God helped us make it so far, and God blessed us for this to happen."

Now the 61-year-old and his family no longer have to struggle. They'll soon have central air and heat which means they won't have to heat their house with the stove.

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Vietnam veteran's house gets long overdue repairs