Critical Financial Assistance Aids Army Veteran and Family
At the age of 44, Troy Griffey’s life story could already fill multiple Hollywood blockbusters:
- Born deaf, he regained his hearing through a surgery in France that he could not get in his home country of the U.S.
- He endured chemotherapy for a rare skin cancer from the age of 5 to 11.
- Graduating from high school at 14, he went to college at 15, earning two master’s degrees and two Ph.Ds., the first by age 20.
- He entered the military with parental consent at 16 and over the course of a 22-year career deployed six times and was sent on two peace missions, the first time at 18.
- He was shot twice and survived two explosions.
- He is also a father of six and grandfather to six.
Troy has always persevered, but in June 2021, he found himself in another difficult and possibly dangerous situation, this time close to home. His neighbor in an apartment downstairs in the building began harassing and threatening Troy’s husband, Kody. The anti-gay harassment required a restraining order, and the woman was eventually convicted of a hate crime.
His apartment management refused to help, and as the harassment continued, he and Kody needed to leave. During the move from Spokane to Tacoma, the power steering went out in Troy’s car. They needed to repair the car and stay at a hotel until they could move into a new place. He was not yet receiving his disability or retirement from the military. He was referred to Operation Homefront.
With the help of generous donors, Operation Homefront’s Critical Financial Assistance (CFA) program funded the repair of his car and travel and hotel expenses totaling approximately $4,400. Troy, husband Kody and their two service dogs stayed in a hotel for a week.
“Everything Operation Homefront did for us was amazing, and we appreciate everything,” – Troy Griffey, Army veteran
Troy spent his military career in combat arms units. During his four deployments to Iraq and two deployments to Afghanistan he became permanently disabled because of his injuries.
He left the military after experiencing anti-gay harassment at his last placement in California. He said he had never dealt with that kind of treatment during his entire time in the Army. He decided to separate and was honorably discharged. They are settling into their new home in Bellevue, and Troy is finally receiving disability benefits.
