On the night of March 24, an EF3 tornado with winds up to 155 mph ripped through Winona, Mississippi. One of the homes in its path was that of 90-year-old Korean War Veteran, Mr. Robert Pyron. Mr. Pyron was in his home with his dog, Teddy, when the tornado hit. It completely leveled two outbuildings, destroyed his roof, and lifted the entire house, moving it off its foundation. The Veteran’s home was a total loss and had to be torn down.
“The tornado moved the house about three feet south and about three feet east,” Mr. Pyron said. “It picked it up, and I thought I was going to take a ride.” Thankfully, Mr. Pyron and Teddy made it through the storm without injury.
The house was the family home where Mr. Pyron was born on July 4, 1933. The room where he was born predated the Civil War. Mr. Pyron was drafted into the Army in 1953. He served in Korea and then in Germany as a radio operator. He is also a cancer survivor, but sadly lost his wife to the disease two years prior on the very day the tornado struck.
Scott Burns, of the nonprofit ‘7 Days For The Troops,’ who also lives in Mississippi, posted on social media after the tornado, asking if anyone knew of a Veteran who might need assistance. He had a few people reach out to him about Mr. Pyron. Scott then contacted Purple Heart Homes to see if the organization would be interested in helping Mr. Pyron with one of the tiny homes built at its headquarters in Statesville, NC.
The Purple Heart Homes team immediately began planning to transport a tiny home from Statesville to Winona. On the morning of May 15—less than two months after the tornado struck—the 32-foot-long home was set on a trailer, hooked up, and headed to Mississippi.
Two days and four states later, and at no cost to him, Mr. Pyron’s new tiny home was in place where his previous home was located. Now he and Teddy are moved in and enjoying their new home.
