Goldsboro , North Carolina 
SSG Derek Drew enlisted in the United States Army in 1998 and served honorably for 9 ½ years. His most recent assignment was as an artillery non-commissioned officer with the 1st Armor Division out of Fort Riley, Kansas. SSG Drew served two tours of duty in Iraq. In his most recent tour, SSG Drew was injured in IED explosion in Taji, Iraq in November 2005. In the explosion, his leg was crushed just above the knee. The doctors were able to save the leg, but it no longer functions properly. His foot was broken in several places, and he is unable to bend his foot or his toes. He also suffered a hand injury and lost a knuckle in the same explosion.
SSG Drew is being medically retired from the Army with a partial disability, and he and his wife are now living with his parents in Goldsboro, North Carolina. As has occurred with many recovering soldiers, his extended time of recovery at Walter Reed Army Hospital put a strain on his financial condition. In addition, The Drews – Derek, his wife and two children - are searching for a house in Goldsboro with a first floor master that can accommodate a handicap shower as his new condition makes a challenge of otherwise routine activities. The North Carolina Heroes’ Fund was pleased to be able to help SSG Drew ease the burden of his recovery.
SSG Derek Drew
