PulteGroup Surprises U.S. Air Force Veteran with New Home in Southeast Florida
PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program was launched in 2013 to recognize and thank returning military personnel who have been injured during their term of service by providing them with mortgage-free homes. To-date, the program has gifted more than $35 million in value and provided over 75 families nationwide with a mortgage-free home. For more information about PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program, click here.
In 2023, Southeast Florida PulteGroup started our first ever Built to Honor home for U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Francis “Frankie” Reilly, who joined the military in 1994 and served honorably for 24 years before being medically retired. He was injured during a special operation while acting as a jumpmaster. As his parachute deployed, it caught his leg and pulled it backward causing severe trauma to his leg and foot that found him at two different level one trauma centers. He now has permanent paralysis in his right leg, and his recovery continues. Sergeant Reilly was also diagnosed with PTSD and TBI (traumatic brain injury) after a mission that left several close teammates critically injured. For service to his country, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Reilly is the recipient of more than 25 service medals. Now, as he continues his recovery, Reilly has become a paralympic cycling athlete. He, his wife Heather, and their 3 adult children, Jacob, Katelyn, and Madison, are looking forward to relocating to Port St. Lucie, in a new home that they can call their own, where he can continue to recover and make new memories with family.
Donate to help build a new home for the Reilly family – click here.
Reilly Family Home Timeline
2023
February 1, 2023
On February 1, U.S. Air Force Master Sergeant Francis “Frankie” Reilly met with PulteGroup’s Southeast Florida division leaders at the Heron Preserve community by Pulte Homes. He believed he was interviewing as part of the application process, but when he arrived, the team shared the big news – that he was chosen to receive a brand-new mortgage-free home through PulteGroup’s Built to Honor program in partnership with Building Homes for Heroes®, a national non-profit organization devoted to bringing renewed hope and service to injured veterans. “This has been the surprise of a lifetime, and we are so incredibly grateful to everyone involved for making this happen for us,” said Reilly. “It is absolutely a dream come true for us.”
May 22, 2023
U.S. Air Force Master Sgt. Francis “Frankie” Reilly and family members attended a groundbreaking ceremony on Monday, May 22, for their future home in the Heron Preserve community by Pulte Homes. They joined PulteGroup employees, city officials, and representatives from Building Homes for Heroes® and the Ibis Charities Foundation. “This groundbreaking signifies more than just the building of a new home. It signifies a fresh start, a new chapter in our lives that I never anticipated. This is a place where I can create lasting memories, a foundation for a brighter future for myself and my loved ones,” said Reilly.
November 20, 2023
USAF Master Sgt. Francis “Frankie” Reilly and his wife, Heather, were invited to walk through their future home in Heron Preserve, a new Pulte Homes community in Port St. Lucie. They not only saw how construction was progressing, but were surprised with “Notes of Love” written on the frame by PulteGroup employees, trade partners, and representatives from Building Homes for Heroes. The notes are short, personal messages expressing thanks and encouragement to the couple. “The notes of love we read and experienced is something we will cherish for the rest of our lives. The presence of God, that we love and serve, could be felt over filling us with joy and gratitude,” Reilly said.
Coming Soon
The Reillys will receive the 2,685-square-foot-plus Easley floorplan in the Heron Preserve Pulte Homes community with four bedrooms and three bathrooms. The home will sit on a 62-foot estate lot with a private backyard preserve view and will feature special upgrades including a pool and custom rehab room in the garage with a built-in ice tub and refrigerator. Reilly is a paralympic competitor in biking and will use the room after intense training sessions. The home will be ready for the Reilly family to move in 2024.