CLARENCE, N.Y. — 2 On Your Side is celebrating a Clarence native who will be honored on Friday with the trip of a lifetime to Washington, D.C.
Army veteran Walter Buechi served in Vietnam and has stage four cancer. 2 On Your Side's Kelly Dudzik spoke with Buechi on Thursday. They spoke about the Lone Eagle program, something Buffalo Niagara Honor Flight does to help veterans get to D.C. if they are facing serious medical issues.
"He was very excited. In fact, he's been excited ever since then," Chaplain Jim Schlabach said.
Schlabach is the chaplain of the Clarence Fire Department. He saw a story about the Honor Flight program and knew his friend and fellow firefighter, Walter Buechi, would be the perfect person to take the trip to Washington D.C.
"I've been in the fire department for fifty years, and it's all been about helping other people, and Walter certainly fits that in wanting to help other people," said Chaplain Jim Schlabach.
Buechi joined the fire department not long after serving as a radio operator in Vietnam.
"I had two younger brothers, so I stayed 18 months," Buechi said.
"And then you came back home," Dudzik said.
"Right, Christmas Eve '66," Buechi said.
Buechi has never made it to D.C. to see the monuments. In order to go on the Lone Eagle flight, you need a guardian. That is someone who will be with you every step of the way.
Buechi's friend, Mike Zalikowski, fit the bill.
"A guy called me up and says, 'Hey Mike, would you want to go to D.C. and be my guardian?' And it didn't take but a second because, yeah, I'd like to do that," Zalikowski said.
Zalikowski served in Vietnam, too, and this will also be his first time seeing the memorials. He met Buechi at the VFW.
"A real nice guy started talking with me. Found out his name, and he was in the Army, and he was a communications specialist, and he started telling me about all the ways that he went through the jungle stringing wire up. He was important in the effort over there," Zalikowski.
Buechi's work with the Clarence Fire Department has also been important. He kept it up as he's fought cancer for the past 23 years. It's now stage four, and that's why the trip this weekend will be bittersweet.
"It's been constant, you've got two months, two months, two months. Well, it's been a year. You just keep on trying," Buechi said.
There is going to be a big celebration at the airport Sunday afternoon at 2:45 when Buechi returns from his trip. Everyone is invited to welcome him home.
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