Metal industry salutes injured Iraqi war veteran

摘要

When the recipient is a genuine American hero, having to do a little "home work" becomes anything but a chore. The "students" of STUD University - a three-day steel-framing program held annually at the METALCON show - spent most of their time on the Tampa Convention Center floor, constructing a handicap-accessible residence made exclusively with cold-formed steel. The hands-on education was worthwhile by itself. The chance to help U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Russell "Russ" Marek was memorable and, in the end, tear-jerking. "I was already very interested in being able to work with the people who are promoting metal building," said David Skeele, one of 35 STUD U. students and the owner of Skeele Construction in Hilo, Hawaii. "When I learned we were going to be donating the building to Russ, that clinched the deal for me. Each time I think of it, I get chicken-skinned. That means 'goose bumps' in Hawaii."