Kansas City Marine receives help from commrades, Extreme Home Makeover
9:59 p.m. Sunday, February 10, 2008
23-year old Chris Davenport was a sophomore in high school when 9-11 happened. That's when he decided to join the military.
It was four years later, as a Marine in Iraq, that he got to know Staff Sergeant Danny Gilyeat of Kansas City, Kan.
"While we were over there, he opened a tattoo parlor," said Corporal Chris Davenport. "I'll be half the platoon got a tattoo from him. That's where I really got to know him."
On July 2nd, 2005, Gilyeat and Davenport's platoon was performing convoy security, when Gilyeat's vehicle rolled over a land mine.
"I was about a quarter mile away when it happened," said Davenport. "The concussion hit me in the back of the head."
Staff Sergeant Gilyeat lost a leg and nearly his life.
Davenport and the rest of the platoon didn't see him again until arriving back in the state's in October.
"He was the first one to greet us as we walked off," said Davenport. "It was amazing to see him walking on his prosthetic leg."
When Extreme Home Makeover decided to build Staff Sergeant Gilyeat a new house, his platoon buddies were there to help.
" I went down the first day," Davenport said.
And Davenport and others were also there for the reveal.
"We lined the streets and as the limo passed by everyone saluted," said Davenport. "It was really emotional."
Davenport is now in the Marine Reserves. He could be deployed to Iraq again but said it was unlikely. He did say he has a promise from Staff Sergeant Gilyeat to finish a tattoo Gilyeat started before being wounded.
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