Central Point, Ore. – It was a happy and emotional reunion, as both family members and veterans waited at the airport for J.D. Day’s arrival. Today marks his first visit back to the Rogue Valley, since he was injured near Pakistan.
He was injured after an I.E.D. exploded while he was deployed. Hours later, he was awarded a purple heart. He was then taken to Walter Reed Medical Center in Maryland, and there his right leg was amputated above the knee. He also lost use of a portion of his left hand.
He’s been in Maryland recovering and rehabilitating ever since, but now he’s finally strong enough to return home.
“Extremely thankful very proud. I think his ability to come home is representative of his recovery to date, and how dedicated he’s been to getting back to normal,” J.D.’s father, Brian Day said.
Veterans and community members from all over the area were there to welcome J.D. home.
“Just inviting the people who had an emotional investment in his recovery to come out and partake and participate and get to see him,” Brian Day said.
Some people in this crowd have been supporting J.D. for a while now.
Shortly after he was injured, a GoFundMe page was set up to help pay for any expense he may have. The goal was set for $10,000, but in just days that page reached over $100,000.
“As a gesture, more than the monetary amount was very uplifting for a lot of people involved to see that overwhelming support and knowing that we had reached far beyond what the original goal was,” Brian Day said.
The Day family put together the homecoming event, so the people who have been emotionally involved in J.D.’s recovery could celebrate with them
J.D. was given a police escort from the airport today to the Don Jones Memorial Park in Central Point. He’ll also be honored by the Oregon Ducks for his service at their game in Eugene Saturday.
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