Bedford veteran Gunnery Sgt. Bernie Ruchin enjoying project from Building Dreams for Marines

News

Friday, May 30, 2014

By LORETTA JACKSON

Staff Writer

If hed been dashing through a muddy foxhole during a battle in World War II or in the Korean War, the need for speed surely would have propelled Gunnery Sgt. Bernie Ruchin into a safe zone without further ado. Nowadays, the retired Marine, who will be 90 years old in November, knows nobody is shooting at him.

All that was dented was his pride and his kneecaps when he caught an edge on a stair at his Bedford home and fell on his knees. The floor offered a landing zone of carpet softer than gravel but he came back from the hospital with a cast on his leg. He was laid up for seven months.

A full-body shower was prohibited because of the cast. He said he craved watering the entirety of the more than six feet of height that is Bernie Ruchin.

Thats when Building Dreams for Marines, based in Nashua, did some recon and came in with a plan for a redesign of Ruchins bathroom. A complete renovation, highlighted with the removal of a heavy bathtub, showcased the installation of a step-in shower with accents of marble.

Michael Browning and craftsmen from Cobb Hill Construction, assisted by local Marines from Bravo Company, completed the job, a $15,000 value, in a few weeks. The project was deemed by Ruchin as first rate.

Ruchins handicap-accessible shower and bathroom installation was the fifth project completed in New Hampshire by Building Dreams for Marines, a nonprofit focused on life-enhancing home modifications provided free of charge to Marines whose service has left them with physical limitations.

Originally posted here:
Bedford veteran Gunnery Sgt. Bernie Ruchin enjoying project from Building Dreams for Marines