U.S. Army Specialist, family receive new home

CYPRESS, Texas – U.S. Army Spc. Clifford Betcher and his family were surprised with a new custom-built, mortgage-free home Friday.

Members from Operation Finally Home, Beazer Homes, the Howard Hughes Corp. and Houston Texans all gathered for the celebration and to present the Betcher family with their new house keys.

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The surprise announcement was revealed to the Betcher family at a Texans game back in January, where they thought they were just invited by the NFL team as a thank-you for their service.

After being recognized, they played a trivia game and the answer revealed they were receiving a new home.

Clifford Betcher joined the Texas Army National Guard in 2005 as an armor crewman and served for seven years. 

He was deployed to Iraq in 2006 and served a 15-month tour of duty there.

Six months into his deployment, Betcher's convoy was hit by a rocket-propelled grenade.

His fellow soldier was killed and Betcher received a traumatic brain injury from the blast and later suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.

He received the Combat Action Badge, Army Commendation Medal and several other commendations for his service.

Unable to work due to PTSD, Betcher dedicates his time to volunteering at the VA Medical Center in Houston to give back to fellow veterans.

Betcher, his wife Wynne and their 7-year-old son were finally presented with a home to call their own Friday by volunteers from the various organizations.