BELTON, Texas (KWTX) - An Iraq War veteran received a gift he never expected: a brand-new, mortgage-free home in Central Texas.

For years, he carried the weight of war. Today, he carries a special set of keys that opens the start of a new chapter.

Christopher Justinianio enlisted in the Army in 2008, saying he was motivated by a desire to honor his country.

“I gave up Princeton, Yale and Brown. I decided to join the infantry instead,” he said.

He was deployed to Iraq in 2009 and 2010. He came under fire and survived an explosion of a pickup truck next to his vehicle that caused a traumatic brain injury.

“There were times I thought, especially the second time I got blown up, I don’t think I’m going to make it home,” Justinianio said.

But he returned home and is now medically retired.

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