From the Ranks: Marine’s family gets new start, new home - Military TV, Television - Military Times

From the Ranks: Marine’s family gets new start, new home

If a man’s home is his castle, you could say Marine Staff Sgt. Bill Dickinson’s family has just moved from a dank dungeon to a light-filled palace.

Dickinson and his wife, India — along with their five kids — were fighting a losing battle against mold and water damage in their Beaufort, S.C., home.

But India took charge on her own when her husband, an aircraft maintenance inspector, deployed to Afghanistan in November. She called in reinforcements from ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.”

Ty Pennington and his crew — with more than 300 Marine volunteers — arrived in January to help.

“It was amazing, I have to say. Marines who didn’t even know Staff Sergeant Dickinson were showing up,” says 1st Lt. Sharon Hyland, who organized the Corps’ contribution to the show.

Bill Dickinson was able to view a pixilated webcam streaming live to Afghanistan, but he hasn’t gotten a good view of his new castle yet. Still, the distance and spotty connection didn’t dilute the impact.

“He broke down. He was very emotional,” Hyland says. “I’m sure it was because he is so far away, but also because it was such a relief.”