FALLING ROCK, W.Va. — An American flag waves high above a home that was once flooded in the Kanawha County town of Falling Rock.
World War II Veteran Robert Ramsey was presented that flag during a house dedication ceremony Wednesday. Ramsey and his wife Shirley were given back the keys to their home, which was rebuilt after the June flood.
“It’s a wonderful thing that they think that much of me,” said Ramsey, 90. He served in the U.S. Army from 1943-1947.
The Ramsey’s home was destroyed in the flood. On the night of June 23, 2016, Ramsey said the water reached up to about six feet inside the living room.
“It almost made it to the roof of the house,” Ramsey said, pointing to the ceiling. Water markings can still be seen on the window outside of the home.
Shirley Ramsey said it was a special feeling to return home after living with her children for the last several months.
“It was back home again,” she said with a smile. “It’s kind of hard to do without your things that you have every day.”
Volunteers with the Home Builders Association of West Virginia worked on the project for five months. Building materials and other items were donated. John Brumley, project manager, said a lot of work was involved.
“It’s not an easy project. Everything from mold remediation up to the dry wall work, up to the electrical work. Everything had to be redone,” Brumley said.
Members of the National Guard helped raise the flag outside the home Wednesday. State Adjutant General James Hoyer said it was a deserving honor for one of many West Virginia families still recovering from last summer’s flooding.
“This is even more special because this is an opportunity to give back and to demonstrate that this state is still in recovery, but is starting to do well and is resilient,” Hoyer said.
Hoyer said the Ramseys’ story is just another example of “West Virginians taking care of West Virginians.”