MONUMENT • When the U.S. Air Force retired Andy Clark, for him, it was a blessing in disguise.

The Monument resident was retired from the Air Force after 10 years of service that began in communications and eventually led into aiding special operations. His service took him to combat in Iraq, Kuwait and Afghanistan, among other places.

After his last tour in Afghanistan, he sustained injuries and returned home after a year of deployment, only to find out his six months of rest and relaxation turned into two weeks before he was told he was needed for another assignment.

He was willing to go, regardless, but Clark’s supervisor stepped up and informed the military powers that Clark had

been injured more than once in his previous tour. This led to the Air Force’s decision to retire Clark after he finished a couple of years of physical and mental therapy at the Warrior Recovery Center at Fort Carson.

Today, Clark is considered a 100% disabled combat veteran. However, the home he shares with his wife and two sons hasn’t been ideal for him. Since the backyard consisted of nothing but dirt, Clark never stepped into it as it reminded him of the desert, where he saw combat.

A couple of years ago, Clark’s mother approached Susan Jones, a specialty assistant store manager at the Home Depot store in Monument, asking if there was anything the store could do for Clark to remedy the desert landscape outside his back door.

Jones is the captain of the local store’s arm of the Team Depot Foundation, which funds through a grant process projects that can be performed for local disabled veterans, such as landscaping, home exterior work, and on occasion renovation projects for veterans groups.

In the fall of 2019, Jones knew grant funding for the project would take weeks, so it was decided to circle back to the project the next spring. That’s when the COVID-19 pandemic came to El Paso County and forced Jones and company to take a step back and reevaluate. The project kept getting put off, but not without the foundation providing some help to Clark in the meantime.

“We were able to provide a lot of product from the store, like extra trees, and see if there was anything else which came along,” Jones said.

Eventually, starting six weeks ago and with the volunteer labor provided from the Air Force Academy and the Air Force, the first bit of Clark’s backyard landscaping project was underway. Jones and the foundation were able to get the grant information submitted and received a quick turnaround.

In addition to landscaping, Clark received a new Tuff Shed from the store as a donation, sponsored by the Disabled American Veterans Chapter 50 in Colorado Springs.

“We needed to have a sponsor for Andy to be able to get the funds necessary to do the landscape or at least temporary product donation,” Jones said. “I reached out to the DAV two years ago and just kept in contact, letting them know the things we needed.”

The Clarks’ backyard renovation project started with a retaining wall. In 2019, Clark’s basement was flooded because of the grading on his property, which made the retaining wall an immediate necessity. Home Depot provided the materials for it, but Clark was unable to do the labor himself because of his disabilities. Clark contacted his Air Force captain, and before he knew it, Air Force Academy cadets, airmen first class, master sergeants, staff and technicians from the Air Force came for two days to perform the labor, including planting trees and shrubs, laying down two layers of weed barrier, and more.

Later, Home Depot ended up with a pallet of 16inch by 16-inch pavers which were no longer needed for a customer special order, so the pavers were also donated to

Clark’s project. The veteran’s mother, his father — who is also a 24-year veteran of the Air Force, his sister, wife and children pitched in to lay a walkway designed to look like a suspension bridge around the yard, as well as a checkerboard pattern with remaining pavers.

“I can actually enjoy my backyard now,” Clark said. “I can’t put into words how much it makes me feel that what I’ve done was appreciated. Sometimes, it feels like you’re a number and then they drop you. There just aren’t enough support systems out there for veterans, and there aren’t going to be. It’s that simple.

“We’ve been at war for the last 23 years and there’s just too many vets. The system is overwhelmed. It’s not the system’s fault, but it’s not the vets’ fault either. It really touches my soul to know people really care. As somebody who has been on the brink of death, it gives you something to look forward to.”

Despite his injuries, Clark feels his retirement was a blessing. Being away for most of his older son’s developing years, by returning home he was able to witness the growth and development of his younger son.

“I missed the first time, but I get to be there now,” Clark said. “I can suffer through the pain if I get to see my kids’ smiles. That’s what it was for.”

Originally from Detroit and stationed at Peterson Air Force Base, Clark was retired from Building 2 at the base, whereas his father retired from Building 1. With his parents still in the area, and wanting his sons to grow up knowing their grandparents, Clark decided to keep his family in the area and eventually made the family’s home in Monument.

As for the Team Depot Foundation, Jones said she was happy to finally see their efforts to help Clark and his family come to reality.

“The reason this is really pleasing is for so long I wasn’t sure this was going to work out, especially when you start something at the beginning of a year when the world takes a turn,” Jones said. “Every month we were waiting for a new quarter and new expectations for what we were able to roll out.”

However, Clark’s story also makes Jones extra proud of the foundation’s efforts on his behalf.

“If you’re going to do something good for someone with that need, you always hope it’s for someone who deserves it,” she said. “It couldn’t have gone to a better guy.”

“I can actually enjoy my backyard now. I can’t put into words how much it makes me feel that what I’ve done was appreciated. Sometimes, it feels like you’re a number and then they drop you. There just aren’t enough support systems out there for veterans, and there aren’t going to be. It’s that simple. ~ Andy Clark, disabled Air Force who received assistance renovating his backyard