An Army veteran from Shelbyville and his family received a mortgage-free home in a ceremony Wednesday.

Sgt. Xanthin Luptak received the gift as a donation from U.S. Bank through its Housing Opportunities after Military Engagement (H.O.M.E.) program, in conjunction with Freedom Alliance’s Heroes to Homeowners program.

Since 2013, U.S. Bank has donated 22 homes valued at $4.8 million to deserving military families.

Luptak secured his mother’s permission to enlist in the Indiana National Guard at age 17. The following year, he moved to active duty and was stationed at Hawaii’s Schofield Barracks where he used the island environment to train in jungle warfare. In 2007, at a pivotal time in the war, he served a 15-month deployment to Iraq.

Using his skills as a combat engineer, Luptak performed dangerous route clearing missions in which he and his team removed hidden bombs in order to create safer passage for U.S. troops.

In 2010, while stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado, Luptak met Jessica and they would later marry and start a family. During that time, he received a temporary assignment at the

U.S. Military Academy at West Point where he trained cadets on route clearance operations.

Luptak also trained Afghan police on these same procedures while in Afghanistan in 2011. During his deployments, he survived repeated engagement with enemy forces but was severely wounded.

While overseas, Luptak was exposed to dangerous toxins from burn pits and when he was examined prior to surgery for his combat injuries, he was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

Luptak underwent chemotherapy and is in remission. He was medically discharged in 2017.

The new home, on Durum Street off Cloverdale Road in a recently-developed subdivision, was constructed by Ole South Builders.

Freedom Alliance is a charitable organization providing help and support to wounded troops and military families. They have awarded more than $20 million in college scholarships to children of heroes killed or disabled in military service and spent millions more helping injured veterans and their families with outdoor recreational therapy trips, Heroes Retreats, care packages for deployed troops, mortgage-free homes, all-terrain wheelchairs and much more.

Learn more about Freedom Alliance at FreedomAlliance.org or facebook.com/FreedomAlliance.

U.S. Bank, Freedom Alliance and Ole South say they’re committed to honoring service members for their dedication and personal sacrifice.