"It was a labor of love," said John Dill, president of the Credit Union Association of Colorado and Wyoming.

Strong, who will live in the home with his wife, Misty, and children Brianna and Sean, said during the ceremony he and his family were "really honored by this, and appreciate the efforts of everyone, who didn't have to do this."

After touring the home, which was furnished and had a stocked refrigerator and pantry, he said, "Wow, I didn't expect this. It's special."

The home is specially equipped with ramps, an elevator and a remote control key to accommodate Strong, who lost both his legs during an explosion on his second tour of duty in Iraq. The 31-year-old California-native had served in the Army for 11 years, since graduating from high school in California.

Two Democratic members of Congress attended the ceremony--Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania and Ed Perlmutter of Colorado--and praised Strong's service and the efforts of the volunteers.

"You've seen the face of evil and come home. You're the reason we're here," said Murphy, the only Iraq War veteran in Congress. He also commented on the camaraderie among veterans and quipped that "we'll come back and drink some of your beer when your fridge is stocked."

Perlmutter, whose district includes Golden, told the Strongs that "you are moving into the best neighborhood in America" and said this is "the kind of project that warms your heart."

The congressman did more than just talk about the project. While the home was being constructed, the freshman lawmaker laid sod on the lawn--the job he used to put himself through college--and rounded up the local fire department to apply water to the surface.

Although the project has been going on for several months, in the hours before the ceremony volunteers were working on finishing touches. CUNA Senior Vice President for Political Affairs Richard Gose was helping install a jungle gym in the backyard for the Strongs' children, and several other volunteers were doing some last-minute cleaning and doing tasks such as installing the washer and dryer.

John Gonzalves, the founder and president of Homes for our Troops, said homes like the one built for the Strongs are a small token of appreciation for the efforts of members of the military in defending people's freedom.

"This is community spirit right here. We are volunteering for our greatest volunteers. They volunteered for us, so this is the least we could do," he said.

Gonzalves, who owns his own construction company, said he came up with the idea for his organization when he found out that among the 400 private organizations that provide services to military personnel and veterans, there were no groups that built homes for injured veterans.

In addition to the new home, Strong got an extra bit of good news last week. Lockheed Martin Space Systems Co. offered him a job as a management trainee at their Littleton facility, about 35 miles from here.

"We're not doing him the favor. With his leadership qualities, he'll be doing us the favor," said Joseph D. Lehman, the company's vice president of government affairs.

Though Lehman announced his company's latest hire at the ceremony, it was not a surprise to Strong. He received an offer from the company the previous evening, several hours after completing his final round of interviews.

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