HILLSDALE—Members of the Sons of the American Legion Squadron 162 of Hillsdale held a flag raising ceremony at the Hillsdale home of paralyzed United States Marine Corps veteran Visnu Gonzalez, a member of Post 162.
Gonzalez—who enlisted in the immediate wake of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks—served in combat with the United States Marine Corps in Iraq. On his second tour he was severely injured by a sniper.
Squadron members George DeRosa and Dennis Cesa coordinated replacement of the flags on the flagpole in front of the Gonzalez family home, which was donated to them in 2009 by Homes For the Troops.
Post commander Douglas Frank says the home has one of the highest ratings for energy efficiency and is barrier free.
Squadron Vice Commander Cesa tells Pascack Press, “We were delighted to have the opportunity to help this family and honor this warrior. Our members responded immediately to honor the memory of our relatives who served or who are serving our flag and county. God Bless America.”
Members of the squadron and the post raised a new Marine Corps flag and the United States flag. Visnu’s wife, Sahily Machado Gonzalez, with their daughter, expressed her thanks to the post for its continuing support.
Homes For Our Troops says that on April 21, 2004, while serving in Iraq—his second tour—Cpl. Visnu Gonzalez was shot by a sniper, severing his spinal cord in the C-6, C-7 level. He was also shot in his left subclavian artery, an injury causing near-fatal bleeding.
Despite surgery to stabilize his vertebra, today, Gonzalez remains paralyzed from the upper chest down.
Homes For Our Troops built Gonzalez a LEED Platinum house specially adapted to his needs. “We are proud to say this is the first home in the nation to achieve the EPA’s Energy Star Climate Choice Tier 3 certification in addition to receiving 95 points under LEED for Homes,” the organization said at the time.
The build was financed in part by a Sierra Club grant that was expected to pay for itself in energy savings. It was, organizers said, the most challenging project they’d then undertaken.
Gonzalez’s mother and caregiver, Maria Baez-Dominguez, said her family was forever grateful to their Homes For Our Troops home. “Thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We salute all the veterans and organizations such as yours for helping our wounded veterans live a respectful and better life, despite their difficulties.”
Since receiving his home, Visnu married his wife, Sahily Melissa Machado Burton. In December 2018, they welcomed a baby girl, Lia.
Gonzalez told Homes For Our Troops, “This home restored my sense of safety, dignity, hope. Thank you for making me feel that I served for a purpose. Even though the results were not as I anticipated, I would do it all again, if it meant the safety of my country and the world.”
Sons of the American Legion membership is open to those whose father or grandfather served Honorably in the United States Armed Forces. Anyone interested in joining should contact Post 162.