Ohio Building Community Constructs Home for a Deserving Veteran
Home builders associations across the country often work with veterans’ groups to provide support and help address their housing needs. This year, members of the Home Builders Association of Dayton (HBAD) partnered with Operation FINALLY HOME and JM Dungan Custom Homes to provide a home for a deserving veteran.
“When approached by Operation FINALLY HOME in 2018, they presented the opportunity to share the gift of a new home to a family from my own community. I was immediately interested and made the verbal commitment on the spot,” said Josh Dungan of JM Dungan Custom Homes, and 2018 HBAD President. “With the help of generous donations via Operation FINALLY HOME affiliates and the local membership of the HBA of Dayton we were able to deliver a beautiful home to a very deserving Marine veteran and his family. We as a company were honored and proud to be a part of this process.”
Earlier this year, U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Aaron Zurn and his family received the keys to their new mortgage-free, custom-built home in Vandalia, Ohio. Members of the HBAD, including 84 Lumber Company and The Requarth Co. and many others, contributed to the home.
“Dayton is America’s most military-friendly community and widely regarded for our support of our local service men and women, and JM Dungan Custom Homes and Operation FINALLY HOME provided a powerful demonstration of this sentiment,” said HBAD Executive Director Eric Farrell.
“The HBA of Dayton wanted to offer our support for the selfless service of heroes, like Aaron and his family, and playing a small role in this endeavor was a great way to do that.”
Sergeant Zurn served his country for more than 10 years. He began his service with two tours in Iraq as a U.S. Marine Corps Rifleman. On his first deployment to Fallujah, Zurn witnessed a fellow Marine killed by a rocket-propelled grenade within 10 minutes of arrival. That introduction and the fierce fighting the Marines faced in Fallujah, still impact his life today.
In 2010, Zurn sought a new challenge and reenlisted as a “jump qualified” Marine Special Operations Forces (MARSOF) operator. He deployed twice with MARSOF, and his company was frequently exposed to heavy enemy fire, ambush and improvised explosive devices (IEDs). During his final deployment, Zurn fell out of a helicopter and was knocked unconscious, resulting in a traumatic brain injury (TBI). He medically retired in 2016.
Zurn suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), bilateral hearing loss, knee injuries and other injuries from being a paratrooper. For his service, Zurn received numerous awards, including two Combat Action Ribbons, Navy Achievement Medal, Navy Accommodation Medal with a Bronze V, and the Marine Corps Commendation Medal.
Before enlisting, Zurn married his middle-school sweetheart, Brittany, who serves as his primary caregiver. Together, they have three children and a service dog.
“There is no way we would have ever been able to do something this big for our kids,” Brittany Zurn told the Dayton Daily News. “Aaron has had a huge weight lifted off his shoulders as he has always been a wonderful provider. We are beyond grateful to everyone involved!”
Latest from NAHBNow
Aug 01, 2025
Meet at Home with Your Members of CongressNAHB members across the nation can build on the success of the June Legislative Conference by meeting with their lawmakers in their home districts in August to discuss key issues that affect the home building industry.
Jul 31, 2025
How Home Builders Beat the Labor Crunch with This Fast Financing PlanStruggling to secure labor can force builders to make tough decisions: Do you delay a project? Sacrifice profits? Or turn down new opportunities? But smart builders don’t just react — they adapt their financing strategy to meet labor challenges head-on.
Latest Economic News
Jul 31, 2025
Personal Income Rises 0.3% in JunePersonal income increased by 0.3% in June, following a 0.4% dip in May, according to the latest data from the Bureau of Economic Analysis. The gains in personal income were largely driven by higher wages and social benefits.
Jul 31, 2025
Housing Share of GDP: Second Quarter 2025Housing’s share of the economy registered 16.3% in the second quarter of 2025, according to the advance estimate of GDP produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. This reading is unchanged from a revised level of 16.3% in the first quarter and is the same as the share one year ago.
Jul 30, 2025
Fed Remains on Pause AgainAt the conclusion of its July meeting, the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy committee once again held the federal funds rate constant at a top rate of 4.5%. However, two members of the committee dissented from the decision (Fed Board Governors Waller and Bowman), the largest number of dissenting votes since 1993.