MANCHESTER, Ga. — Vietnam veteran James Buchanan moved his entire life from North Carolina to a small Georgia town to be closer to his daughter and grandchildren.
He bought his home in Manchester in March and said he put his entire life savings into it -- looking forward to being near family.
"I love it," he said about the area. "People talk to you. People are friendly."
But never could he have imagined that his home would have been destroyed a few months later.
It all started on Tuesday when a storm came in. Buchanan thought he had been prepared for it as he moved his car away from a giant oak tree that his neighbor had next to his house.
Buchanan looked out his window and saw rain pouring hard. He heard a loud noise but didn't know what it was. So, he went into another room, sat in a chair and started watching a TV show.
"I hear this crash like a plane crash or something, and my whole house explodes," he said. "The whole side of my house. . . sheet rock coming down, it hits my head."
That's when he realizes the neighbor's tree had come down -- crashing into his home.
Veteran looking to rebuild Georgia home after tree crashes into house
"It's about the hardest thing since Vietnam," he said about the incident.
Buchanan served a year in Vietnam as a helicopter machine gunner. He described his rough experiences during the war and said he had to have 28 stitches in his eye. He said he felt like this week's harrowing experience and fear brought him back to the war. He thought an airplane had crashed into his house.
"We told people one day was like a week, one week was like a month, one month was like a year," he said about the war. "Some people die most every day being a helicopter machine gunner on special forces."
Despite the terrifying incident, he is grateful to be alive. He said it would have been a different story if he had been in his bed that night.
"I'm shocked I'm alive," he said. "So either Jesus saved me from Lucifer, and Lucifer made that tree come down. But it had to have been Jesus that saved me because he wouldn't have done that to me."
Unfortunately, he was in the process of getting insurance before the incident occurred and is now questioning how he'll be able to afford to fix the home. And despite moving his car, the tree still managed to smash into it -- destroying another one of his possessions.
He's now looking into contractors and is hoping anyone will be able to help him rebuild his home.
"This country boy needs some help," Buchanan said. "It's hard to be thankful when you lose everything, but I'm trying my hardest."
His daughter started an online fundraiser to help him as he works to rebuild his home. For those interested in assisting Buchanan on his journey, please click here.
