KANSAS CITY, Mo — The family of fallen Army Sergeant Joel Murray was gifted a new, mortgage-free home in Lawrence, Kansas.  The Tunnel to Towers Foundation gave them the home in honor of Gold Star Spouses Day – which honors the spouses of military members who made the ultimate sacrifice in s ervice to their country. Sgt. Murray and three members of his unit were killed on Sept. 4, 2007, when an improvised explosive device (IED) hit their Humvee.  He was on his second tour in Iraq and was just 26 years old. Sgt. Murray came from a military family. His grandfather was a World War II veteran, and his father was a Vietnam War veteran. In February 2002, months after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Murray enlisted in the Army. His first deployment was to Seoul, South Korea, where he met his wife, Maricel.  "Joel was my soulmate," his wife, Maricel Murray, said. "He was a good man and provided not only for me and our son but for my family as well. He had a heart of gold." Murray is survived by his wife, Maricel, and their son, Jerry, a pre-med student who graduated in the top 1% of his class. Maricel said Jerry always "tried to excel in school to honor his father’s legacy." ...read more read less