Last update: 27 April 2004

MILTON -- A soldier who lost both his legs in Iraq will return to a brand new home, built and paid for by the residents of Santa Rosa County.

When Dustin Tuller, 28, returns to northwest Florida in mid-May, he'll have a newly constructed home for him, his wife and four children on 40 acres his parents own in Allentown.

Tuller, a member of the Florida National Guard's Company B, 3rd Battalion, 124th Infantry, lost both legs after he was shot four times while leading a Dec. 23 raid in Baghdad.

The now-retired Army staff sergeant is currently undergoing intensive rehabilitation at Walter Reed Medical Center in Washington.

"His spirits are good, and he's highly motivated and ready to come home," Santa Rosa County Commission Chairman Don Salter said Monday. "And we're going to help him."

Construction of the 3,400-square-foot home is expected to completed in about a month. It will have four bedrooms and be tailored to meet Tuller's demanding physical needs.

Santa Rosa County officials said hundreds have donated to the cause, such as Whitworth Builders Inc., of Fort Walton Beach, which designed the house, as well as various companies and individuals who have promised everything from free labor to insulation, an irrigation system, plumbing, wiring, heating and air conditioning, termite treatment and even interior design.

Pete Gandy, chief executive officer of Santa Rosa Medical Center, said the hospital will offer Tuller a yet-unspecified job. A trust fund in his honor has raised about $18,000 to help cover family expenses.