They call the USA “The home of the free, because of the brave,” and that makes this one of the most beautiful stories I’ve had the pleasure to write.
Medina County veteran, Peter Prevett, Jr., 72 of D’Hanis, spent 20 years serving our country in the US Air Force. He spent most of those years overseas in communications intelligence. MSgt Prevett moved to Medina County after retiring with the rank of Master Sergeant E-7, and made his home here several years ago. On April 28th, his home was destroyed as record-size hail fell from the sky along with the horrific winds and F-1 tornado that hit our county. The destruction left 72-year-old Prevett without a safe place to live.
After Red Cross/ACCOG resources for a temporary hotel ran out, he simply began living in a tent.
This past week, Operation Texas Strong came to serve Retired MSgt Prevett with a new place to call home…an RV stocked with a stove, TV, bed and more, that had been donated to the organization that very same day. This RV makes the 53rd home that Bobby and Peggy Crutsinger and their dedicated team have been able to give to homeless veterans, since they founded the organization in January of this year.
“On a single night in 2020, there were 37,252 veterans who have served our country, who are now experiencing homelessness, and that’s why we do what we do,” Mr. Crutsinger said, who started this grassroots organization with his wife Peggy. The Crutsinger family, who also owns a towing business in Weatherford, TX, took a whole day off to make the 12-hour round trip to pick up this donated RV from Bracketville and delivere it to Prevett personally.
On the morning before the surprise delivery was made, Prevett said “I am safer in a tent than I would be in what’s left of the trailer, but a tent is a very difficult place to continually live. Initially I slept in the tent full time, but with the summer heat and heavy rains we’ve been having it’s just not a good situation either….They say desperate times call for desperate measures. That’s just life. We learn to deal with it and do the best we can.”
When the storm hit Medina County on that dark evening over two months ago, Mr. Prevett, his daughter, and two grandchildren were all holed up in the bathroom area of his home, heeding tornado warnings. Thankfully no one was injured by the baseball/softball hail that came straight through the walls of the trailer as violent winds whipped it around.
“It took a total of less than eight minutes. The house was destroyed and my daughter’s car was totaled as well. It was eight minutes of sheer terror,” Prevett said. “When we came out of the bathroom…we were in total shock.”
This awesome used RV was donated to Operation Texas Strong by 10-year Army veteran who also served many years in the service, John Quigley, of Fort Clark area. It is no longer an old camper; it is a home.
“I am glad to be able to do this. We do what we can– do the best we can to help anybody who needs it,” said Quigley, who is also active in the local VFW post in his area.
MSgt Prevett served our country for some two decades, spending a majority of those years overseas, and we are overjoyed to see this wonderful organization now serving him a home, in his time of need.
“He cried, and I did too,” said Crutsinger, who has dedicated many hours to growing this grassroots organization, along with his family and team, who are all very passionate about serving veterans.
MSgt Prevett was shocked when he saw an RV pulling up in his driveway just about eight hours after he first made contact with us and this awesome organization.
“It was a much needed gift made possible by so many people and delivered by some awesome folks of Operation Texas Strong,” said MSgt Prevett, Ret. “God Bless everyone who made this possible and I thank the Lord for placing these people in my path, all of you.”
He added, “The Lord moves in wonderful ways. I don’t believe in coincidences….I prayed for this all week.”
“God is awesome,” Crutsinger added.
As we thanked MSgt Prevett for his many years of service, he stated, “I was blessed and proud to have had the opportunity to serve my country and the people of this country. I want to thank ya’ll for what you are doing. My appreciation is honest and from the heart.”
HOW YOU CAN SUPPORT THIS GROUP
Bobby and Peggy Crutsinger and their awesome team of volunteers welcome donations of RV’s or tiny homes to the program, as well as volunteers to help with delivering and picking up donated homes. Volunteers to help make repairs to donated homes for veterans are also needed.
Their overall mission is getting homeless veterans off the street and eventually having 150 acres for an RV park for the veterans to have a place to park their RVs and rebuild their lives.
Other items needed which could be shipped to the Crutsingers via Amazon or mail:
1. Donated new/used RVs or tiny homes
2. Gift cards to purchase things for home
3. New pillows
4. New socks
5. Anything for RVs
6. Volunteers to help repair and store donated RVs being worked on
7. Volunteers to help move RVs to homeless veterans and pick up donated RVs
8. Pots and pans and dishes
9. Toiletries
You can contact Operation Texas Strong 2021 at phone: 940-452-6052, email: peggycrutsinger@rocketmail.com. You can also MAIL DONATIONS to: Bobby Crutsinger, 111 West Josephine Street, Weatherford,TX 76086.
Getting homeless veterans off the street one RV at a time.
By Kayleen Holder
Editor