SAN ANGELO, TX — "I joined the Army Reserves the day I graduated medical school and I was in for 12 years total, and I was deployed to Iraq twice, once in 2006 and once in 2008 as a trauma surgeon. Odessa Regional Medical Center asked me to come as the team doctor on this flight and it's been my honor to do so.
I grew up in San Angelo, went to Lake View. My dad was a teacher at Lake View High school. I knew in high school I wanted to be a doctor. So I went to Angelo State University, then to Medical School at UT Health and Science Center in San Antonio. Moved on to Temple to do my residency at Scott and White. I did a general surgery residency. Shortly after I finished my residency was my first deployment. I was deployed to Iraq and I was there as a trauma surgeon. I was deployed about 18 months later to Iraq again. That time I went around to different places, I did probably 8 med-evacs, so I was really in the air a lot and moved around a lot during that tour.
When I was done I wanted to come back to Texas, I missed West Texas dearly. I called my wife from Iraq one day and said we're moving back to Texas and she was like OK! So after my deployment we moved to Midland and I took a job in Midland and we've been there for 10 years now.
ORMC called and asked if I wanted to go on the Honor Flight and I said 'what's that?' and they said 'I can't believe you've never heard of it." You know, being a veteran and all that. And they explained it to me and I said it would be my honor to accompany these fine gentlemen who served their country. It's been the most amazing experience. It's been very emotional.
I come from a family of military people. I'm the 5th generation of men to be in a war. So, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam, and then I was in Iraq.
It made me reflect on the emotions. It helped me understand, especially my dad. Even me being at the Vietnam memorial was emotional. And seeing these guys who were in that. Who came home and spit on and treated poorly by the country. It was a very emotional thing. It helped me understand him better and what he went through.
The Honor Flight is an amazing thing that volunteers put together to take these older veterans to show them that their country appreciates them.
It's all volunteer and it's all donations so my message is, I would like people to donate. Donate a dollar, donate five dollars. These veterans served our country with honor and they deserve to see these monuments and that the country still loves them," Dr. Jeff Durgin said.
If you'd like to find out more about the Honor Flight, click here