Home dedication for Wounded Veteran

American hero U.S Marine Sgt. Keith Turnbow and his family joined representatives from Operation FINALLY HOME, Dunbar Builders and Mungo Homes along with many Building Industry Association (BIA) Members Wednesday, January 24 to celebrate the dedication of their new custom-built, mortgage-free home. Over thirty BIA Members donated labor and/or materials in the construction of the home. The home is located in the Portrait Hill Community near Chapin. It is the 139th home dedication for deserving veterans through Operation FINALLY HOME.

The special dedication ceremony included comments from honored guests, dignitaries along with the Turnbow family. Following the ribbon cutting, Keith, his wife Maggy and their children received the keys and saw their completed home for the first time.

Keith and his family were surprised with the news they were receiving a new custom-built, mortgage-free home during a special groundbreaking ceremony June 21. They thought they were just going through the preliminary interview process with Operation FINALLY HOME and the builder, but were driven to the home site instead for the surprise. The Chapin community left ‘notes of love’ Sept. 21, 2017, before the drywall was installed.

U.S. Marine Sgt. Keith Turnbow grew up in a broken home in Florida and later New Jersey. Despite these challenges, he rose above it to become one of the most popular kids in his high school, even being voted Prom King.

After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004 where he was promoted to Private First Class following completion of his training. In 2005, after just two months of infantry training, he was deployed to Iraq with the 2nd Light Armor Recon. A few weeks into his service in Iraq, Turnbow’s vehicle was hit directly by an IED. He was the only one to take the blast directly and it was later found to cause a Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

However, he remained on active duty and continued to witness incredible carnage and death of his fellow military service members. He returned home in 2006 as a changed man, no longer the effusive, friendly person he had been in high school and accepted an opportunity to return to Iraq in 2007.

After his second deployment, he reenlisted as a combat instructor at the School of Infantry. In 2010, he reconnected with Maggy, a former high school classmate. They married and have a family now.

In 2014, he medically retired and is currently a full-time student and is focused on being a role model for his family.

Turnbow, who was promoted to Sergeant in less than three years, was recognized with multiple awards including Marine Corps Good Conduct Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Model, Humanitarian Service Media and Iraq Campaign Medal.