I joined the Air Force just three days after graduating from high school in 1967. I spent four years in the Air Force, volunteered for a special unit called Safe Side, went to Vietnam, then was stationed in Florida and Louisiana before being discharged in 1971. Later, because of my service in Vietnam and being exposed to Agent Orange, I had heart problems and was placed on 100% disability.

In late 2010, I had been losing weight though I felt fine. I noticed a lump on my neck, so I went to the VA and received antibiotics. I followed up with a cardiologist who did a CAT scan, which is how my cancers were discovered. When the CAT scan went over my neck, it not only picked up a lump on my neck, but also on the top lobe of my lung. They weren’t looking at my lungs but found the tumor by chance. Six weeks later, on my birthday (January 10, 2011), I was diagnosed with both stage III squamous cell neck cancer AND stage III squamous cell lung cancer.

After many meetings and tests, my doctors decided the best course of action for my lung cancer treatment would be to remove my defibrillator and then remove as much of the tumor as possible, followed by 37 rounds of radiation and 8 rounds of chemo. My lung collapsed twice, the radiation caused severe burns on my neck, I was hospitalized four times and after a while I was unable to swallow and was fed through a tube. But ever so slowly I began to feel better. After three months I had a CT scan; I was cancer free! Over the years I have had a couple of scares but fortunately, no recurrence.

In a way, getting cancer was a blessing in disguise. Before, I had my own business and was concerned with material possessions – which I later realized don’t mean anything. Cancer ultimately made me closer to my wife and caregiver, the real unsung hero. It has opened up many doors and provided opportunity for me to connect with so many others in this community. I’ve made speeches, shared my story, volunteered at hospitals, and been on both ends of GO2 for Lung Cancer’s Phone Buddy Program. I think cancer has actually made me a better person.