Michael Sulsona raised an American flag outside his new custom-built home on Staten Island on Tuesday.
(Michael Sulsona new home, donated by the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Amanda Farinacci/NY1).
"It's incredible. It really is. It's just amazing," Sulsona said.
It was donated by the Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the nonprofit that honors first responders and members of the military who make supreme sacrifices.
And Sulsona knows about sacrifice. In 1971, he lost both of his legs when he stepped on a land mine while on patrol with the Marines in Vietnam. He was just 19 years old.
(Michael Sulsona, a Marine veteran who has volunteered with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. Amanda Farinacci/NY1).
Since then, Sulsona has been a playwright, but he's also mentored other combat veterans and volunteered with the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The new home is the first that the charity has given to a Vietnam vet.
"Everybody here, a grateful nation — late, but better late than never — is saying thank you for what you have done. Thank you for your service," Frank Siller, the chairman CEO of the foundation, said at a news conference at the home unveiling.
The new home, donated by corporate sponsors and dozens of local contractors, is designed with Sulsona in mind. The stove height is adjustable, the microwave opens with the touch of a button, and he can wheel himself right into shower.
(Parts of Michael Sulsona's new home are height-adjustable. Amanda Farinacci/NY1).
(Michael Sulsona's new home is the first that the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation has given to a Vietnam veteran. Amanda Farinacci/NY1).
"You don't realize that you can have or even live in a home like this. Automatically, you're just seeing how your potential and the things you can do — even rest easier, shower whenever you want to," Sulsona said as he sat on his couch. "This is like a bonus."
Since the Siller Foundation began building smart homes back in 2011, it has constructed and completed dozens of homes for veterans. This house is number 85.
And the smart homes are getting smarter thanks to changes in technology and the lessons each new home provides.
"This smart home enables him to be independent," said Frida Sulsona, Michael's wife.
A home to make Sulsona's life easier — after his sacrifice for his country.
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