Marine Cpl. Todd Love lost both legs and part of one arm in an IED blast in Afghanistan. He emerged more of a man than most men can hope to be.

It’s not just because Love jumps from airplanes, surfs, snowboards or plays the piano beautifully, although he does all those things. It’s because he is American resilience personified: Cpl. Love took perhaps the hardest hit one can take, and yet he still goes after life at full throttle, greeting each day, each possibility with the delight of a child.

On Monday this week, the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, the Sinise Foundation, Home Depot and others unveiled Love’s new home: a $500,000 “smart” house built just for him. He hefted himself effortlessly from his wheelchair onto the sofa and then bounced on the cushion a few times, as if he were a kid bouncing on a freshly made bed.

“I have lost a lot,” Love told the crowd that gathered for the unveiling of his new home, in woods outside Douglasville. “But in the last four years, I have found a lot more than I realized I had. There’s a lot more in this world that is up for grabs.”

The AJC’s Bill Torpy has interviewed Love in the past and was on hand for the unveiling of his house on Monday.

Subscribers may read the full Bill Torpy at Large, view a video of the unveiling and see more photos at our premium website, myajc.com.

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