THE HOME DEPOT, U.S. MARINE CORPS AND U.S. ARMY BEGIN MOBILIZATION OF $1 MILLION IN DONATED TOOLS AND MATERIALS TO U.S. MILITARY IN IRAQ

San Diego Store Associates, U.S. Marines and Army Soldiers Work Together to Load, Transport Supplies to Camp Pendleton

Atlanta , June 24, 2004 – The Home Depot ® , the world's largest home improvement retailer, is delivering today on its pledge to donate $1 million in tools and materials to support the U.S. military in Iraq . Nearly 100,000 tools and materials, including shovels, table saws, concrete mixers, safety scaffolding, power generators, light bulbs, jackhammers, and thousands of letters from associates at The Home Depot to troops will be loaded on nine tractor trailers in San Diego this morning to begin an 8,000-mile journey by U.S. Army and U.S. Marine Corps transportation to U.S. military installations in Iraq.

 “This donation is part of The Home Depot's long-standing commitment to the U.S. troops currently serving in Iraq ,” said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president and CEO of The Home Depot. “With more than 1,800 associates serving in the current military efforts, we have a special interest in making sure all of the U.S. troops know that we appreciate and support them.”

 The donated materials and tools will augment the military's current supply. The Secretary of the Navy, the acting Secretary of the Army and the Commandant of the Marine Corps have officially approved acceptance of the gift per the applicable federal laws and Department of Defense regulations.

“ America 's Army is grateful for The Home Depot's thoughtful support as our soldiers build a strong foundation and a brighter future for the Iraqi people," said Paul Boyce with the Department of the Army's Community Relations and Outreach Division at the Pentagon. "These tools and materials will help Army civil affairs, engineers and other units as they continue daily to improve the lives of the men, women and children of Iraq ."

“As a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, I am proud to work for a company that supports the U.S. military,” said Tom Wagner, assistant store manager for The Home Depot in San Diego and captain, U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. “Having recently returned from serving in Iraq , I know first hand that our troops appreciate the fact that our communities and our country continue to show their support.”

Today's donation is part of a larger program of support for the men and women of the U.S. military. Early last year, The Home Depot launched Project Homefront, a program that donated $1 million and one million associate volunteer hours to help military families repair and maintain their homes while a family member is deployed. In addition, The Home Depot continues to support more than 1,800 of its Guard and Reserve associates by equalizing and extending pay and benefits while they are called to active duty. For this effort, The Home Depot was a 2003 recipient of the “Homefront Award” presented by The National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

Founded in 1978, The Home Depot is the world's largest home improvement specialty retailer and the second largest retailer in the United States , with fiscal 2003 sales of $64.8 billion. The company employs approximately 300,000 associates and has 1,776 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia , Puerto Rico , eight Canadian provinces and Mexico . Its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:HD) and is included in the Dow Jones Industrial Average and Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

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