On Saturday, October 4, Keith Anderson and his family received the warmest welcome from the Acton community in a ceremony to turn over the keys to the house in West Acton that is the fulfillment of a dream of the late Mark Starr. As described in an earlier Acton Exchange article, after a visit to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C., Starr, a builder with decades of experience building homes in the area and scores of relationships with local contractors, was determined to honor the sacrifice veterans and their families make during their military service. He set out to build a home for a disabled veteran, hopefully someone with children who could benefit from the great schools in town, at no cost to the family.
Starr found a vacant lot, taken by the town for non-payment of taxes, that Town Meeting agreed to sell to him for $1. Cashing in on the favors he had amassed during his long career, Starr enlisted contractors and the community at large to donate the money, materials and labor it would take to build an accessible single-family home. Starr passed away unexpectedly shortly after the foundation had been constructed. His widow, Andrea Starr, was determined to see the project through to completion. Aaron and Mickey Jeanson, operating Jeanson Builders in Acton, were instrumental in ensuring that happened by volunteering to take on the role of general contractor.
Home for Our Troops, a veteran’s organization founded in 2004 that has built 400 custom, specially adapted homes for severely injured post/9-11 veterans, worked to find a qualified veteran. There were 85 applicants, and Anderson was selected after a thorough vetting process.
Anderson served 14 years of active duty, was a U.S. Army staff sergeant deployed 4 times to Iraq and Afghanistan. He received multiple service awards, including the National Defense Service Medal, Army Commendation Medal, and a Purple Heart. After stepping out of the vehicle he parked in his new driveway for the first time, he shared a long and tearful embrace with Starr who had walked down to greet him. Addressing the gathered crowd, he introduced his partner and two young sons, saying, “Thank you so much, there are no words, there are no words, just thank you. You have changed our lives. It’s not just a gift to a veteran, but this is a beautiful, generational gift that my family can enjoy forever.”
Acton Boxborough Veteran Services Officer James MacRae offered introductory remarks, describing the project and welcoming the Anderson family to their new home. Retired Marine Corps Col. Robert Beaudoin, who played a key role in the promotion of the project over the years following Mark Starr’s death, described how difficult deployment and service is, not only on the veteran, but on their entire family. He emphasized what a difference an opportunity for a fresh start like the one extended to the Anderson family can make.
This project highlighted the dedication and generosity of the Acton community. More than 60 contractors donated their time and materials to complete this house that is now a home. Starr acted as a guide for the family as they stepped into their new home for the first time. Pointing out one of two paintings donated by Acton’s Powers Gallery, Starr told Anderson the title was “Serenity”. Anderson responded that was just what he was feeling right then.
Alissa Nicol is Community Events Reporter for the Acton Exchange, and a member of the Acton Select Board.