KANSAS CITY, Mo. — After years of shuffling around to more than a dozen addresses, Army Veteran Oscar Perez III and his family were able to return home to Kansas City on Tuesday with the gift of a new, mortgage-free house of their own.
The Perez family, including Oscar, his wife and two sons, received the home in Lee's Summit on behalf of the national nonprofit Operation Homefront in partnership with U.S. Bank. Operation Homefront's Permanent Homes for Veterans (PHV) program has awarded more than 680 mortgage-free homes to veteran families across the United States since 2012.
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“When they told us we were picked, it was on video conference," Perez said. "I didn’t think at the time I was going to feel that emotional, or before, but the second he told me, I looked at my wife and looked back at the people on the video camera and just lost it. I had a good cry, but it was hard to hold the tears back because it’s an emotional situation.”
Perez enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2003, and after completing training, he was deployed to Kuwait in 2004 as a machine gunner. While in Kuwait, Perez suffered a "severe" knee injury, according to Operation Homefront.
Perez underwent six surgeries and a year of physical therapy before he was medically retired from the army.
Ever since, the Perez family has lived in over a dozen residencies in different states, often sharing homes with extended family.
“So, families from all over the country will apply for homes when they’re open for applications, and we look for a family that has ties to the community, like the Perez family, and a family that can really benefit from a life-changing experience like this," said Susan Ziesman, vice president of integrated public relations for Operation Homefront.
The home in Lee's Summit marks the attainment of a "long-held dream" for the Perezes, as Oscar's wife, Kristi, is from Kansas City and has long wanted to return.
As part of PHV, the Perezes will receive financial counseling and homeowner education for the next two years. Upon completion, the family will receive the deed to the mortgage-free house.
“The mental part of being a veteran or soldier, it’s tolling, especially on the families or on the kids," Perez said. "A lot of people don’t think about that, so having some place safe for my family to be, it just means the world.”
After retiring from the army, Perez found a passion for coaching different sports, and has been doing so for the last 17 years.
Despite growing up in San Antonio, Perez has been a Kansas City Royals fan since he was 6 years-old.
"I was walking down the street and found a Royals hat, and I still have it 'cause I learned everything about them, about Bo and Brett. So, I fell in love with the team, and then just found my wife who is actually from Kansas City," Perez said.
Perez says his next step is to land an internship at Kauffman Stadium with the Royals. He's currently in his senior year at Rockhurst University, and hopes to someday coach college or professional sports, hopefully baseball.
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