UPDATE!! A MESSAGE FROM STEPHANIE K. TROST
Hello All:
If anyone is interested, On Saturday October 18, 2014 we will put the finishing touches on the barn.
Our contractor is bring out a team to finish the trusses and the roof this weekend. We will have 1 final day to put on the finishing touches to the barn. Projects to complete are listed below. We are anticipating these things can be completed by noon. She is going to be a beauty! Please share
- Putting siding on exterior
- Building barn doors
- Painting
- Building Stalls
Stephanie Trost
By SHELBY MILLER
6 News Reporter
MARYVILLE (WATE) – More than 100 people from across East Tennessee gathered in Maryville Saturday to help a wounded veteran build a barn at his home. Michael Trost was wounded while serving in Afghanistan two years ago. He’s still working to recover from his injuries to this day.
Standing in their yard, admiring the hard work of more than 100 veteran volunteers, Michael and his wife, Stephanie, can’t help but smile. Members from four (4) Veteran Friendly Congregation participated in the event; Maryville Vineyard, Northstar Church, Middlesettlements United Methodist Church and Redemption Church International.
A few months ago the couple came up with a plan to build a barn in their yard for their animals. “Somebody asked, ‘do you need help?’ It’s hard for me to admit I need help because I’m a man and I want to try to do everything on my own,” Michael said.
However, Michael knew the injuries he got while serving overseas would make the barn a difficult and time consuming build, so he accepted the help and was shocked when he saw the turnout.
“So far they’ve probably got about four years of work done for me in a day,” he said.
Veterans from every branch of service stopped by the Maryville home Saturday to help cut down trees, saw boards and build the couple a brand new barn. As volunteers cut down trees from around the yard, they took the branches and piled them up. They said they’d use the branches to build a fence around the barn for the animals.
“We’re all one family and we try to take care of each other,” volunteer Tim Sexton said. Saturday that meant helping out a brother wounded in battle.
Throughout his career, Michael fought in Korea, Iraq and, most recently, Afghanistan. After decades of service, he thought he’d make it home safe.
“I thought I was going to make it out of Afghanistan in one piece, but I was shot several times with a machine gun on Feb. 20, 2012,” he said.
For more than two years, he’s worked hard to recover. After 32 years of service, Michael retires Monday.
He says he’s thankful so many people still keep him close to their heart.
“Even though I’m wounded and not 100 percent like I used to be, I know there’s a lot of people out there that do care about you,” Michael said.
Michael says the most important lesson he wants to get out to other veterans is, if you need assistance, just ask, because there are plenty of generous people in our community who are willing to help out.
Although volunteers plan to come back to put on finishing touches, they planned to get the majority of the barn build this weekend.
