On Thursday, July 5, 2012, the Bowden family was presented with a beautiful Diamond Creek area home on Vista Ridge. Neighbors stopped by to welcome Kevin and Andrea Bowden and their young sons Scott and Ryan. The Bowden's already had two moving trucks full of their furniture parked on their new street. They were surprised by a group of Fort Worth Bank of America employees who are part of a military support group. The group supplied boxes of food to fill the Bowden family's pantry. That made one less worry for the family as they prepared to move into their new home. It only got better when the MWS Foundation presented Kevin with a brand new lawn mower.
Though Kevin grew up in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, he is happy to call Forney home. He served two tours in Iraq and two tours stateside during his time in the Army. He and his wife Andrea have dreamt of owing their own home, but the trauma and financial burdens wounded vets face when they return to civilian life can often derail their dreams. Andrea, who is studying to be a veterinarian technician, said that this home was beyond her “wildest dreams.” Kevin held tightly to a square chunk of steel and said, “I'm completely astonished this happened. I'm amazed.” When asked about the steel in his grip he explained that it was part of the Humvee that protected him from further injury or death when the roadside IED device exploded in 2008. He keeps it as a reminder to be grateful that he is still here.
Kevin and Andrea were able to receive the 2005, 3100 sf, 4 bedroom, 2 ½ bath Diamond Creek home because they applied for it through the Homes for Wounded Heroes Program that is run by the Military Warriors Support Foundation. Kevin qualified to apply for the home because he is a wounded combat vet who is honorably retired from the military and has no mortgage. This will be the first home the Bowden's have ever owned. The way the program works is that for the next three years Kevin and Andrea will have no mortgage payment on the home. If at the end of the three years they are still happy in the Diamond Creek neighborhood, the title to the home will be signed over to them, paid in full.
As the family entered their new home for the first time, Andrea Bowden could only say, “Oh wow...Oh wow.” Kevin added, “If the rest of the house is like this, I'll be in heaven!” As soon as they entered their large kitchen, Andrea, an avid baker, said, “Oh yea, I get to bake now!” One of the sweetest moments came when little Scott Bowden first saw his huge backyard and the blow up pool, he smiled wide and thought immediately of his younger brother, “Oh finally a pool for Ryan!”
Mayor Darren Rozell and City Manager Brian Brooks came to the house presentation simply to welcome the Bowden's to the neighborhood and to thank the Sergeant for his service to our country. The Diamond Creek neighborhood seems to be a perfect match for the wounded warrior and his family. The neighborhood survived a devastating EF-3 tornado on April 3, 2012 and they rallied together to help each other rebuild. Sgt. Bowden showed his warrior spirit during his tours in Iraq and in his fight to overcome injuries suffered in combat. He should fit right in at Diamond Creek.
