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LINWOOD, Mich. (WNEM) — A man who served his country couldn’t even get a fresh drink of water.
He had two options – hook into a city supply or dig a well, but he couldn’t afford to.
“It’s very inconvenient,” said Michael Blondin, Navy veteran.
Blondin tends to see the glass as half full.
“A lot of people say thank you for your service and I say it was a great adventure,” Blondin said.
He hasn’t had running water at his Linwood home since his well stopped working three months ago.
“I burned up the pump so had to replace it. And I didn’t know it was sucking air from the bottom of the well,” he said.
Blondin said he needs a trench dug, pipe installed and a new meter.
He said the Veteran Trust Fund helped with some of the cost, but he is still about $1,200 short.
He does have a temporary solution, but it’s not ideal – especially after having surgery on his hip.
“I’ve been trucking it in from my buddy’s across the highway. I throw two gallon jugs in my side car, I run over to his place. He’s got an outside faucet. Fill them up, water his dogs, come back and drag them in,” Blondin said.
In the meantime, he said he is trying his best to get by and to take care of his four-legged companion little Yoda.
“I take a bird bath once in a while or go down to the swimming pool at the hotel and hose off a little bit,” Blondin said.
He is hoping someone can help with funds or even the labor.
“It would be like pounds off of my shoulders,” he said.
After his story aired on TV5, a group devoted to veterans is stepping up to help.
“That’s what we’re here for. We would like to do that for you. I mean, you served our country. For what you did you deserve this,” said Thomas Gravlin, president of Waterfowlers for Warriors.
The organization helps veterans like Blondin.
“I’m overwhelmed,” Blondin said.
Blondin said he can’t believe the outpouring of support he has received since his story aired on Monday.
Now a man who spent countless hours serving our country while on the water will soon have water in his home.
“Oh my god, it’d be great,” Blondin said.
Members of the Waterfowlers for Warriors embarked on their mission to get a fellow vet running water by paying for water hookup.
“It’s something that’s very rewarding being able to give back to somebody that served our country. Somebody that’s down on their luck. It feels like I’m on cloud nine actually,” Gravlin said.
Now that the permits are paid for to hook up the water, the next step is to hook up the water.
The group said they will work on getting that done as soon as possible.
Bodrie Trenching is donating a trench free of charge.
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