Eric McMurren

Having been born at Fort Bragg and coming from a family where all of the men served in the U.S. Army, it should come as no surprise that Eric McMurren chose to enlist in the Army himself.

Eric enlisted in 1985 and completed his basic training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina. Throughout Active Duty, Eric served as a Specialist at Fort Riley, Kansas, Heidelburg, Germany. He took off some time to be with his daughter, who was having heart surgery at Walter Reed Medical Center. After her procedure and recovery, Eric continued to serve at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and Camp Casey, South Korea. He was honorably discharged in 1993 and decided to return home in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

The transition back to civilian life presented some challenges. “I discovered that I didn’t like large crowds. I developed migraines and mood swings as well,” said Eric. He had a difficult time finding a job at Fort Bragg, so he decided to seek work in Nashville, Tennessee. Eric worked three or four jobs at a time before his family brought him back to North Carolina. He worked at the post office before his medical retirement in 2013.

In addition to the Post Traumatic Stress and migraines he sustained from his service, Eric also suffers from arthritis in his knees. However, Sharon, his wife, provides him with all of the care and support he needs.

Purple Heart Homes has teamed up with Fort Bragg Federal Credit Union to make much needed repairs to Eric and Sharon’s home. Many of the floors and walls will be repaired or replaced to make their home safer. The McMurrens will also receive a new front door that will allow them to enter and exit their home without any obstacles.

“The work that you all are doing for us means a whole lot, especially since we’re living off of a fixed income. It’s hard to do the work myself because of my knees,” Eric told us. He continued, “Thank you all for everything. My wife and I truly appreciate it.” Thank you, Eric, for your many years of service to our country. We appreciate you and welcome you to our Purple Heart Homes family!