Chief Warrant Officer 3 Reuben Vassar is wrapping up a more than a two-year-long project of restoring and renovating his Gloucester County home.

Keeping and restoring the hardwood floors of the home was a goal of Vassar’s that he achieved during renovations.

The arduous task of completely restoring his house in Wicomico was only made more of a challenge by his recently completed master’s program at Howard University.

Vassar has served in the Army since 1999 with two deployments to Iraq and two to Afghanistan. His late father, Charles Wesley Vassar Sr., also served in the military and fought in Vietnam.

During his second deployment to Afghanistan, Vassar’s mother was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and he quickly looked for a way to return to Virginia. He said he applied and was selected for the Army Advance Civil Schooling Program. This allowed him to pursue a master’s degree in Atmospheric Science at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

Being in D.C. meant Vassar could be ...