Operation Finally Home dedicated a brand new, custom-built house in The Woodlands’ May Valley neighborhood to a local veteran and his family with a ceremony June 8.

Operation Finally Home is a national nonprofit, which was founded in 2005 to provide custom-built, mortgage-free homes to U.S. military heroes and the widows of the fallen. To date, the organization has completed 148 projects with 83 others in planning, development or construction.

The most recent recipients of an Operation Finally Home project is U.S. Army Sgt. John Kadleck, his wife Erin and their three children—a boy and twin girls.

Kadleck is a 20-year veteran of the U.S. military, having served six years of active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps, followed by six years in the Army National Guard and Army Reserves and another eight years of active duty with the U.S. Army. During his tenure he was deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan.

"It’s hard to really fathom that this is happening even though we’re standing in front of the house and we watched it get built," Kadleck said. "I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who came out today... it's really humbling. This house is amazing, it's a huge blessing but to me, it's not so much validation for me and my service but validation for my wife, Erin and her service that's she's given me over the years. I love you and I'm looking forward to creating a lifetime of memories in this house with you."

The homesite’s groundbreaking took place Dec. 19.

The ceremony featured representatives from Beazer Homes, The Howard Hughes Corporation, the Houston Texans, the Greater Houston Builders Association and H-E-B.

"Our veterans are a very special group and amongst the elite," said Heath Melton, Vice President of Master Planned Communities for the Howard Hughes Corporation."Less than one percent of the American population is active military personnel [and] less than eight percent of the American population has served our country. John, Erin, Abigail, Emmalyn and Joshua, today you will receive the keys to a mortgage-free home. But this home is anything but free; as freedom, is anything but free."

The Kadleck Family will be able to move into their new home in The Woodlands’ May Valley neighborhood following Friday’s dedication ceremony.

To read more about the Kadleck family, click here.