HAMPTON ROADS, Va. — In honor of Veterans Day, one foundation is paying off the mortgages of four Virginia Gold Star families.
Tunnel to Towers announced that it has paid off the families' mortgages.
The mortgage-free homes will benefit the families of fallen:
- U.S. Army Major Paul Voelke, Springfield, VA
- U.S. Army Major Paul Voelke was fatally injured in an accident involving a mine-protected vehicle while on tour in Mazari-Sharif, Afghanistan, on June 22, 2012. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1998 and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the United States Army. Major Voelke deployed five times. He received numerous awards for his outstanding acts of service. He is survived by his wife of 12 years, Traci, and their two sons, Andrew and Benjamin.
- U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Rodman, Virginia Beach, VA
- U.S. Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Michael Rodman passed away peacefully on October 28, 2015, from cancer due to toxic exposure during deployment. He enlisted in the United States Navy in 2000 and served as an Aviation Electronics Technician for 15 years before reaching the rank of Senior Chief Petty Officer. He is survived by his wife, Meghan Rodman, and his daughter Olivia.
- U.S. Marine Corps Captain Katherine Thomas, Alexandria, VA
- U.S. Marine Corps Captain Katherine Thomas passed away from Stage IV Breast Cancer on April 5, 2022. In 2005, Captain Thomas was deployed to Fallujah, Iraq where she served as a military police officer. During that time, she was exposed to smoke from burn pits, which contained toxins now known to cause cancer and other service-related diseases. In June, President Biden signed into law the Dr. Kate Hendricks Thomas Supporting Expanded Review for Veterans in Combat Environments (SERVICE) Act. This requires the VA to provide mammograms to women with possible burn pit or other toxin exposure. She is survived by her husband and son.
- U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Stout, Chesapeake, VA
- U.S. Navy Chief Warrant Officer 3 Scott Stout lost his battle with Glioblastoma, attributed to his military service, on July 2, 2021. He enlisted in the United States Navy in January 1995. Scott served as a Hospital Corpsman, Deep Sea Diver, Dive Medical Technician, and achieved the designation of Navy SEAL throughout his military career. He leaves behind his wife, Jacqueline, and daughters, Isabel and Daniela.
“When a member of the family volunteers to serve his country, the whole family serves. Today we honor those brave few who stepped up and said goodbye to wives and children, to put their lives on the line for us and our safety. For those who didn’t come home, we make this promise: the family you left behind will always have a place to call home,” said Tunnel to Towers Chairman and CEO Frank Siller.
