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City workers, local builders rebuild veteran’s home Volunteers raise a wall Wednesday for a house being built for a veteran on College Way in east Medford. Andy Atkinson / Mail Tribune Wednesday Apr 4, 2018 at 5:06 PM Apr 4, 2018 at 5:29 PM Ryan Pfeil Mail Tribune @RyanPfeil Less than a year ago, William Verschoor’s east Medford home was in bad shape. A tree had fallen and damaged the roof. Sections of the floor were missing. He had no insulation or heat. The conditions prompted a neighbor to call a Medford building inspector, who visited the house on College Way last September. “He came back to me,” recalled Sam Barnum, Medford building safety director, “and said, ‘Sam, this place is unlivable. He owns the place. He’s a nice gentleman. I can’t evict him.’ But that’s really what should have happened.” Instead of leaving Verschoor, a veteran of the Vietnam War, to figure things out on his own, Barnum and other city officials set to work trying to find a way to help Verschoor keep his home. This week, city officials and several area businesses pulled together to get a roof over Verschoor’s head. The first walls went up on the foundation Wednesday during a public ceremony. Verschoor declined to comment, but said in a written statement that income and physical limitations prevented him from doing the work he needed to do on his home. “This is not the normal,” he said. “I am used to helping others out, but not used to being on the receiving end.” Verschoor served in Vietnam from 1968 to 1970. Stationed in Dong Ha, he served as a field soldier and tank mechanic, according to Medford spokeswoman Kristina Johnsen. He had been living in the home for 42 years. The project was facilitated by Barnum and the charitable arm of Hayden Homes, called First Story. Plumbers, electricians and other tradesmen jumped on board. “(Sam) and I happened to be sitting at a table together at a builder association dinner, and we were talking about this project,” said Shane Johnson, regional director for Hayden Homes. “Other people heard us, and then they all jumped in. So the foundation, the excavation, the plumbing, the painting, the roofing, the framing — it all just started pouring in.” Workers completed demolition in February and poured the foundation in March. This week, volunteers gathered to raise the first walls. Verschoor participated in the efforts, clad in a hard hat and standing shoulder to shoulder with others. “Mr. Verschoor, you’re looking through your window,” Claire Duncan of First Story said as the first wall went up. “That’s pretty awesome.” Participants proceeded to write messages on the stud wall. “Live, love and laugh always,” one message read. Others wrote: “Thank you for your service” and “Always stay fearless.” Construction is expected to be complete May 23, which is when Verschoor will receive the keys. ACCESS and St. Vincent de Paul helped find him a place to stay until then. The efforts may continue with other projects, Barnum said. “I think what we will anticipate doing is if we find one that is salvageable and we can rebuild, we’ll work together with a nonprofit,” he said. “I think we’ll probably work in that direction. This is a little above and beyond what we normally do, but if it arises again, yeah.” Reach web editor Ryan Pfeil at [email protected] or at 541-776-4468.