Former Army Medic Donates $10,000 Award to Fisher House Foundation

Story by Kerri Childress, Photos courtesy Terri Jordan

“I will never forget being in Iraq and they started bringing in injured soldiers from an IED blast,” said Maj. Terri Jordan, USA (Ret.), who was an Army medic at the time. “I couldn’t believe that one of the soldiers had lost almost half his head and was still conscious. I held him in my arms, putting pressure on his wounds to stop the bleeding, all the while gently telling him, he was going to be okay. I know I played a role in saving the soldier’s life that day.”

There are a lot of unsung heroes in war, not the least of which are the medics and doctors who put their own lives on the line to save others. Terri Jordan was one of them. As such, she was recently chosen from among 5,500 applicants for one of 2019’s Evan Williams American-Made Hero award. Her picture and story are the label of one of their Bourbon bottles and they awarded her $10,000, which she chose to donate to Fisher House Foundation.

Terri Jordan, a retired Army medic, poses with a bottle of Evan Williams Bourbon that features her photo and story.

“The soldier I told you about, he was sent to a polytrauma center at the VA in Palo Alto for months of rehabilitation. His wife and young baby stayed at the Fisher House,” said Jordon. “I think Fisher House is an unsung hero. People just don’t understand the incredible role Fisher House plays in the lives of our injured and ill military, veterans, and their families. But I sure do.”

Terri Jordan and Kerri Childress pose with a check from Evan Williams to the Fisher House Foundation for $10,000.

Jordan’s 31-year decorated military career included two combat tours, working in numerous ERs, running the largest medical clinic on the Korean Peninsula, and ultimately becoming the first non-physician to be appointed Chief of Emergency Medicine at Fort Benning, Georgia.

A display tells Terri Jordan's story and highlights the Evan Williams bourbon bottles that bear her face and story.

Today, she owns and operates an urgent care clinic where veterans can meet and share their experiences with PTSD. The clinic also runs a voucher program that donates 100% of proceeds from student physicals back to local schools.

Terri Jordan poses with her family and a bottle of bourbon which features her face and story.

“I want to be able to touch lives,” Jordan said. “That’s why Fisher House is so important to me. Fisher Houses touch thousands of lives every day of the year. It makes me cry to think I can give this much money to so important an organization.”