A true American patriot, Sgt. Carlos Evans voluntarily joined the U.S. Marine Corps in 2004 at the age of 24. As long as he can remember, he always had the desire to represent and serve his country. When he joined the USMC, he dedicated himself fully to his work and obtained his rank as Sergeant in less than four years.
He was deployed to combat four times, the first three in Iraq. After his final tour of duty in Iraq, he married his wife, Rosemarie. On his fourth deployment, in Afghanistan’s Helmand province as part of the 1st Battalion, 2nd Marines unit, Sgt. Evans was on foot patrol when he stepped on an IED (Improvised Explosive Device). After the explosion, he looked around and noticed he was receiving first aid care while enduring intense pain. The IED resulted in the loss of both of his legs above the knee and his left hand. Thinking his life was over, he made his peace with God and closed his eyes. His corpsman woke him up, asked the sergeant the name of his wife and his daughters (Nairoby, 5, and Genesis, 1), and when Sgt. Evans answered them correctly, the corpsman told him, “Your family is waiting for you, you can’t die because they need you.”
Two weeks and two days passed before Sgt. Evans regained consciousness in the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md. with Rosemarie by his side. Realizing he had received a second chance at survival, the triple amputee vowed to never give up despite the many obstacles he faced. He adjusted to a new daily routine that required him to use a wheelchair or his prosthesis to move anywhere. Reaching for objects and even balancing himself became a challenge in his changed circumstances, and he underwent physical therapy to regain his abilities to function independently better.
Sgt. Evans desired to live an independent life in a home that reflects who he is today, so he applied to Operation: Coming Home for consideration as its candidate for support in 2011. Each year, the joint volunteer project – led by the Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County (HBA), the Triangle Real Estate and Construction Veterans (TREAC-V), and supported by Royal Oaks Building Group and Gaines & Company among others – builds and donates homes for disabled combat veterans who have served in the Middle East, after a selection committee interviews candidates to determine the best fit.
In his application, Sgt. Evans noted that he desired the specially built house with widened doors and ramps for his mobility because he did not want to feel helpless when his wife or two daughters need his assistance at their home. “After a day of my physical therapy and my daily routine, I want to feel that I can come to a safe home where I can move around in a safe environment for me and my family,” he wrote. “If Operation: Coming Home considers me, I will forever be grateful. I promise to proudly represent you wherever I go.”