Homes For Our Troops unlocks the door to a deserving military family

Christine Eastman

Special to the Village News

Unsure of plans after high school, a young Erik Galvan felt the military was a fantastic opportunity to see the world. Inspired by his big brother, a Marine, he joined the 1st Battalion, 5th Marines as an Infantryman. March 2011 was the initiation date for Lance Corporal Erik Galvan, at just 19 years old, to set out on his first deployment to Afghanistan.

June 15, 2011, would bring the ultimate sacrifice when Galvan was on a patrol and lost both his legs and half of his right arm when an improvised explosive device (IED) was set off. All Galvan rem...