It is their way of welcoming a hometown hero.
On Monday, area contractors launched a major house remodeling project plus a home addition as part of Operation Opening Doors. When completed, it will provide Army Spc. Branden Stackenwalt accessibility throughout the house.
Danny Wegner, vice president of Scull Construction, said excavation work began for the 22-foot by 20-foot addition at the home of Dave and Kim Stackenwalt and their 22-year-old son, who was wounded in Afghanistan nearly seven months ago.
Operation Opening Doors, primarily sponsored by Associated General Contractors of America South Dakota Building Chapter, aids service members with any disabilities they incur during combat, Wegner said.
Stackenwalt, a 2006 Stevens High School graduate, was deployed to Iraq in February 2009 with the Army’s 4th Engineer Battalion of Fort Carson, Colo. The battalion was sent to Afghanistan in May, and on Sept. 20, Stackenwalt and three other soldiers were riding in an armored vehicle heading from one outpost to another when a bomb blast ripped through the vehicle. The blast broke several vertebrae in Stackenwalt’s neck and back, bones in both lower legs, both heels, his left arm, and left him with a mild traumatic brain injury.
Kim Stackenwalt learned of Operation Opening Doors plans last November. She and her husband were shocked by the generosity.
“It’s unbelievable,” she said.
They will be living in the house during the construction and remodeling work. She was up until 4 a.m. Monday cleaning out household furnishings and items to make room for the interior work. Building crews arrived at her house about 2-1/2 hours later to begin yard work.
“At the end of the day, they had the backyard pretty much torn up,” she said with a laugh. “We’re quite thankful.”
She said her son has continued to improve. He has left behind his walker and now uses a cane. They hope that he will return to Rapid City this summer.
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“We’re so excited,” she said.
Wegner said that construction crews will be digging footings, working on the foundation and concrete work this week for the addition, a bedroom for Branden Stackenwalt that will include a backyard entrance, a wheelchair-accessible restroom and a ramp leading into the main house.
The single-family ranch-style home will also receive major remodeling, including new flooring, interior and exterior painting, kitchen cabinetry, tile, kitchen appliances, granite countertops, new central air and heating, plumbing and electrical upgrades. With landscaping, they expect to be completed by July 2, Wegner said.
“It’s going to be awesome.” he said.
Contact Jomay Steen at 394-8418 or jomay.steen@rapidcityjournal.com.
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