US Navy veteran Lt. Thomas M. Harvey will be remembered as a distinguished hero who served his country and devoted his life to helping others in need. One of his final acts of kindness was leaving an enduring legacy.
Lt. Harvey bequeathed his home to Operation Homefront, a nationally recognized nonprofit organization supporting military families. Auction.com recently auctioned his house, with all proceeds benefiting Operation Homefront’s mission of building strong, stable, and secure military families.
“Thomas Harvey’s gift, to donate the proceeds from the sale of his personal residence, was a tremendous gesture of support for Operation Homefront,” said Tom Wallace, Operation Homefront Manager, Planned Giving. “With generous support from Auction.com, a longtime Operation Homefront partner, we will be leveraging the $323,000 to support initiatives such as Critical Financial Assistance, providing short-term financial help for military families experiencing financial hardship, and Transitional Homes for Veterans, offering rent-free housing as well as employment and financial counselor services to help our very deserving military families achieve a stronger, more stable and more secure future.”
A Life of Service
Lt. Harvey served five years in the US Navy as a pilot in the Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron 4, known as the Black Knights. During his tenure, he displayed exceptional bravery and resilience, earning numerous awards, including the Navy Unit Commendation, Air Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device, and Vietnam Service Medal with four Bronze Stars. Lt. Harvey’s combat experiences were harrowing, with enemy fire hitting his helicopter on 13 occasions. His courage and commitment were as astonishing as his generosity.
A Career Beyond Service
After leaving the Navy in 1968, Lt. Harvey embarked on another remarkable chapter of his life: flying commercial jetliners for United Airlines until his retirement in 2003. His career as a pilot allowed him to continue traveling the world and serving people through his profession.
However, his passion for giving back to society didn’t stop there. Lt. Harvey was a man of deep compassion and a strong belief in helping those less fortunate, as evidenced by his gifting over 80% of his assets to charity. The gift of this home went to one of 12 charities he contributed to upon his death.
Supporting Strong, Stable, and Secure Military Families
Celebrating over 20 years of serving America’s military families, Operation Homefront is a national nonprofit organization whose mission is to build strong, stable, and secure military families so that they can thrive in the communities they have worked so hard to protect. Operation Homefront provides critical financial assistance, transitional and permanent housing, and family support services to prevent short-term needs from becoming chronic, long-term struggles.
Please consider donating to Operation Homefront today.
Related links:
Auction.com Donates Second $50,000 This Year to Operation Homefront