Doug Preston recognized as June 2025 Jefferson County Veteran of the Month

FAIRBURY - He served a short but distinguished tenure as a medic in Korea, helping save lives of both soldiers and citizens alike. June's Jefferson County Veteran of the Month is Southeast Nebraska native Doug Preston.

Born in Fairbury in 1950, Preston spent his entire youth in Nebraska until he was drafted into the Army at age 19. After training in Washington and Texas, in 1970 Preston was assigned to the 43rd Mobile Surgical Hospital, a small camp near Uijeongbu, a few hours north of the South Korean capital of Seoul.

Part of a small crew of 127 enlisted personnel and 28 officers, Preston was tasked with manning the emergency room, administering shots, and providing both soldiers and Korean civilians with medical care. He says he can recall only one military member dying while he was there, and that the most serious emergency room incident came when a Korean fisherman mistakenly used a frag grenade instead of a concussion grenade to aid in his trade.

Later in his tour, Preston was reassigned to work as a courier, transporting records all across the country, even in places with lots of pedestrians and few roads.

"I just appreciate the fact that you guys honored me this morning...I'm very thankful," Preston said Tuesday.

Preston left Korea in December 1971, and returned to the States just before his 21st birthday. He departed the island on December 12 and, thanks to the time change, landed back stateside on the same day. Since then, he's lived and worked in Wyoming and Iowa, and, recently, back in and around his hometown of Fairbury. He has been married to his second wife, Bonnie, for ten years, and is expecting the arrival of his 15th grandchild later this year.