NYSTY Rebuilds Home in Groesbeck Texas
James and Eva Vincent of Groesbeck, Texas
From September 6 through September 9, 2007, FF Jimmy Sands, FDNY Engine 10, and FF Vinny Fennimore, FDNY Ladder 10, and several other FDNY Firefighters traveled to Groesbeck, Texas and joined other local and national volunteers to rebuild the home of James and Eva Vincent.
The Vincents are an extraordinary American family. Three generations of the Vincent family have run assisted-living centers for disabled veterans out of their homes. They created a unique and loving environment where these men who served our nation could eat at the family's dining room table, play with the children in the extended Vincent family, and enjoy the 100+ animals in a beautiful country setting. In addition to serving the disabled veterans, the Vincents also serve their community as they comprise nearly one-quarter of the 40-member volunteer fire department of Groesbeck, a town of just 4,000 people half way between Dallas and Austin and just east of Waco.
On December 29, 2006 an F3 tornado ripped through the Vincent family compound, damaging one of the veterans' homes and destroying the home where James and Eva lived with their 14-month son Hunter and 5 of the veterans. With just 30 seconds warning before the tornado struck, Eva woke Hunter from his crib and gathered the 5 veterans in her home and huddled them in a small inner hallway of the house. Sadly, one of the men died in the tornado but Eva's quick actions literally saved the lives of her young son and the other men in her care.
