"During the summer I was going through a real rough time," Herrera said. And the man who stepped in to help was Andy Pujol, 52, of Island Park.
"Andy really helped me get out on my feet, and I'm not the only person Andy's done that for," Herrera said. "He really goes the extra mile. It's people like Andy that make us realize those sacrifices we made are well worth it."
Herrera first met Pujol in 2004, when she and several other wounded veterans were working with a veterans organization to raise awareness of and funds for those returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Herrera had come to New York to do a radio interview with another wounded vet, J.R. Martinez, who explained on air how he had been severely burned when the tire of a Humvee he was driving went over a land mine and it exploded. Martinez was trapped inside and was so badly burned that parts of his ears had to be removed. He had undergone more than 30 surgeries, and eventually became a motivational speaker.
Pujol was in his car when the interview aired, and he later told Martinez that he was so moved by the veteran that he pulled over to sit and listen. Then he got in touch with Martinez because he wanted to do something to help.
A successful businessman, president and owner of VIP International, an international transportation company based in Valley Stream, and the father of two — Bryan, 17, and Shannon, 14 — Pujol was willing to donate not only his money, but his time. His children have seen his caring side. "He always asks us if we need help help," Shannon said. "He tries his best to do everything for us." Shannon added that her father’s willingness to help others isn't just reserved for family. "What he does is much more than mostly anybody else," she said.
The $50,000 Pujol donated to the veterans’ cause was a help, but his determination to do more — to touch more lives — is what ultimately made a world of
difference to the men and women he has befriended.
"A lot of the gifts he's given to people you can't put a price tag on — the gifts he gives are priceless," Martinez said. "It's not something that comes out of a bank account. He gives me friendship and love and guidance. He does that not only for myself, but for other people."
In his quest to become more involved, Pujol founded the Valley Stream-based Building Homes for Heroes in 2005. The nonprofit organization provides individuals and corporations opportunities to help severely wounded and disabled veterans and their families rebuild their lives. Building Homes for Heroes donates money and helps find manpower for veterans so they can modify their homes, have them built to spec or buy houses that can accommodate their new needs.
Last summer, the organization donated $50,000 to Christopher Levi, a U.S. Army Ranger who lost both of his legs in Iraq. The money helped defray the $100,000 cost of renovating Levi's Holbrook home. Levi's family raised the rest, and the home is nearly completed.
Homes for Heroes has raised almost $800,000 since its inception, and helped veterans throughout the country, including donating $65,000 to build a home in Florida and $30,000 for the down payment on a home in Texas. "He started this at ground zero with his own money — he makes no profit," Martinez said of Pujol. "It's about helping other people to have a better life. He's a man that puts other people before himself."
Martinez, who has recently played the character of Brot Monroe, a wounded Iraq war veteran, on the soap opera "All My Children," said Pujol is one of the "top three" people he calls regularly because they have become such close friends. "I only surround myself with good people, with the kind that have big hearts and want to give back, and he's one of those people," Martinez said. "I'm a big advocate of learning from other people, and with Andy Pujol, I think everyone can learn something from him."
Pujol isn't much for recognition, though, according to another friend and hero, Josh Forbess, who also met him in 2004. Forbess, like Martinez, was severely burned in Iraq when the helicopter in which he was a passenger collided with another chopper. "The thing I love most about Andy is that he doesn't like the limelight," Forbess said. "To me, a volunteer volunteers time because they love it, not to get accolades.
"He's such a humble guy," Forbess went on. "He instills this hope and inspiration to everyone he comes into contact with. I just wish I could be there to see the look on his face when he reads this."
Forbess said that while Pujol never served in the military, he has an uncanny ability to understand and assist veterans returning home. "He understands that stuff happens in life, and sometimes you need a hand to get you started back in the right direction, and he's more than willing to do that," Forbess added.
For B.J. Jackson, another wounded vet, Pujol was instrumental in guiding him toward a new path. When Jackson returned from Iraq to his wife and children in Iowa, he wasn't sure what he was going to do because his plans to get into the bar and restaurant business didn't seem feasible anymore. He had lost both legs below the knee and was burned over more than 60 percent of his body when a vehicle he was driving hit a land mine.
"Over the last four years, Andy's inspired and motivated me in different ways," Jackson said. "Not only in business life, but as a father, too — the way he interacts with his children, and you get this sense of the all-around great guy he is as a father figure and a friend."
Jackson said that Pujol's story — of starting his own business and using his success to give back by starting Building Homes for Heroes, is one he'd like to emulate. "Being a father myself” — Jackson has five children — “and going to school for business now, Andy motivates and inspires me," he said.
Jackson said that Building Homes for Heroes has become an important part of his life. "It gives us an opportunity to use our words and voices to help our fellow soldiers when they come home," he explained. "I'm honored for us, as the three amigos and one gal, to be able to use our voices to help Andy and his mission."
Bryan Pujol said that he "most definitely" considers his father a hero. "What he did and what he is doing is phenomenal," Bryan said. "Most people talk about doing things — he actually does it. Really, he's just a great guy. He puts everyone else in front of him and he's the last person he worries about.
"I'm proud of everything he’s done."
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