John McCoy is the manager of Home Depot in Fort Smith. He and crew of employees, friends and family volunteered Saturday (Jan. 9) to start getting things back in order.
“We just wanted to come out and try to start the process of helping the folks here clean up,” McCoy said. “Obviously, there’s a lot to do with all the water damage and everything, but we just wanted to try to give them a starting place, so that they can start getting back to a normal day and a normal life.”
Kaelin said he’s left speechless by their kindness.
“We’re so thankful to have a Home Depot store so close with a store manager that cares about veterans,” Kaelin said.
In all of the mess, something Kaelin thought that he’d lost forever, was found. It was a mug with the Air Force emblem on it.
“I’m very proud to have been in the United States Air Force and the Navy,” Kaelin said. “It means a lot.”
Kaelin said a simple thank you was not enough.
“I want to give every one of these guys that came out this morning a challenge coin,” Kaelin said.
A challenge coin is something he said is very close to his heart.
“A challenge coin is generally passed from one veteran to another whom you think are honorable and deserve it,” Kaelin said.
But, it was the volunteers who ended up thanking him.
“What you did was way more than what we’re doing,” one of the volunteers said to him.
Once the Kaelins new mobile home is on their property, the Home Depot team said they will donate all of the materials needed for the plumbing.
If you want to help, you can contact James Kaelin at 479-285-1035.