"He didn't make it," War Veteran loses home and dog in house fire

David Pace is an Army Veteran who won several medals for his service overseas in Iraq. 

He bought his home in Missouri City for him and his little dog Jax. 

He spent his time remodeling the entire home hosting his family and grandchildren to make memories. He even had matching recliners for he and Jax. 

On October 29th, David woke up to an alarm.

"I started choking, and my eyes started burning, so I threw myself back on the bed, and I was like, now what?" 

The house was engulfed in flames. He began to crawl out of the house all the while yelling for Jax to get out. 

David got out and ran to a neighbor to call 911. 

"All I was thinking about was Jax," he said. 

David had just received a payoff quote for his mortgage in the mail the day before. He said he was so excited to go make his last payment the next day he could barely sleep. 

 But the fire that night consumed his home, destroying everything. 

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The biggest loss of all he says, is his best friend, Jax.

"He didn't make it out," David said with tears in his eyes. 

He says Jax helped him through life with his disabilities. When asked if Jax is a service dog, David said, "no, he's my best friend."

"This has overshadowed combat. You can't elude thoughts," he said. 

Also lost in the fire, all the Christmas presents David bought for his grandchildren. 

"I'll just buy them all gift cards now," he laughed. 

David says he wants to warn homeowners about the dangers of fire and the importance of checking your smoke alarms. He recently replaced all of his, and touts that as the reason he's alive. 

"I appreciate you taking the time to do this, I don't like crying... but if it helps someone else, it's of value," he said. 

If you'd like to help David through this tough time, you can by donating here.