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Mary Lobene
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24 Forest Meadow Tr., Ogden Janet Campbell 739-8065
21 Webster Rd., Spencerport Mary Lobene 734-3362
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November 5, 2023
EAST EDITION
Westside News Serving Suburban News North and South edition areas
Established 1953
For a heartwarming home, November 5, 2023 Issue No. 45 all you need is family. And heat.
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Veteran Larry Vaughan: A life of serving country and community
1 WESTSIDE NEWS EAST AND WEST EDITIONS WrAp - NOVEMBEr 5, 2023
Serving the communities of Spencerport-Ogden, Churchville-Riga, North Chili, Hilton-Parma
through the jungle terrain in the valleys, looking for potential ambush sites. The conditions were harsh. “The elephant grass would cut our skin and lead to infections. Our socks On Veteran’s Day, we are were wet all the time, and we would take one bath a week in reminded to show our gratia stream,” he described. tude to those brave men After surviving 11 months and three days in the jungle and women who served our warfare of Vietnam, country through military Aire Serv wants youhis deployment was over. He returned toto Ft. Lewis and then came home for a 30-day leave. service. We are even more stay comfortable After his leave, he returned to Ft. Hood in Texas to finish grateful and indebted to and breathe clean his “We played war games,” chuckled those who not only served airtwo-year all yearcommitment. round! Vaughan when asked our nation but returned We emphasize cus- what he did in the remainder of his enlistment back and in the States. home to serve our comtomer service Larry returned home to Brockport in 1971 and resumed munity. always get the job his roleright in the Fire Department. He also took a Larry Vaughan up of Rochester. done theBrockport first Offer valid only atgrew Aire Serv Barbara and Larry Vaughan in 2006 with their grandson, Dante, new job working in the village of Brockport as an emergency in the Brockport communiNot valid in combination with any other offer. time. who was seven months old at the time. dispatcher. In July of 1971, Larry met his wife, Barbara (Unty, Installation graduatingbefore from December Brock- 31, 2023. ger). “I knew her brother, and we met at a firemen’s event. I port High School in 1967. Larry Vaughan during basic trainCall for details. On January 17, 2019, Larry got a call from the transplant did not think it was going to work because we had a big gap owned and operated HeIndependently attended MCC to study ing in July 1969. in ages,” he laughed. They married in September 1972 and team to come right to the hospital. He did not get his hopes Fire Science during the up, as he knew this did not necessarily mean he was getting time the Vietnam War was cranking up and young men were had their daughter, Kim, in 1973. a transplant. He arrived at the hospital that afternoon, and Upon his return to civilian life, Vaughan continued servbeing drafted. While in college, Larry’s draft card was a 4F, to qualified buyers which prevented him from being drafted. That status changed ing but in the capacity of directly serving his community. He at 11 p.m., he was notified of the news that he would be after he finished college. Vaughan was working at Atlantic has held numerous emergency service positions throughout getting a liver transplant that night. Ten hours of surgery Pacific in Brockport and volunteering at the Brockport Fire his lifetime. He has served as lieutenant, captain, assistant later, Vaughan had a new liver, and the transplant was a Department in May of 1969 when he received his draft notice chief, deputy chief, fire chief, ambulance lieutenant, warden, success. After being on the front lines of combat and front lines as hose company president, apparatus driver, EMT, fire comand order to report. “Things got real,” said Vaughan. and more. Vaughan served at both the Brockport a first responder, Larry understands just how fragile life is. On July 13, 1969, Larry said goodbye to his parents as missioner, 14 Amity St., he boarded a bus to the draft station in Buffalo. After being and Ridge Road fire districts. “The military experience “Most of us only get one chance, and, for some reason, I got me to better understand authority and how to follow a second.” Vaughan has not met the family of the person who processed, Vaughan was sent to Fort Dix in New Jersey for helped Spencerport basic training in the US Army. He was assigned as a rifleman orders,” said Vaughan. In addition to his career in firefight- donated their liver to him but hopes someday he can. 585.207.1816 AireServ.com Larry developed life-long attributes from his military trainto an infantry unit. “I was a hunter and good with guns,” ing, he was continually active in committees and fire service associations, as well as fallen firefighter fundraisers and ing and experience. “Vietnam gave me grit and toughness I commented Vaughan. would not have gotten any other way. The Army made me After basic training and Advanced Individual Training at community groups. In 1992, Vaughan was undergoing a routine physical for better in so many ways.” Ft. Lewis in Washington, Vaughan received his orders that Vaughan, now 74 years young, is retired but remains active he was being deployed to the war zone of Vietnam. He was the Ridge Road Fire District. The physician noticed that his able to come home for two weeks in December to see his liver enzymes were elevated. Larry’s physician, Dr. Hari in various community and firefighting organizations. He and referredDay him to a specialist in Gastroenterology and his wife reside in Brockport, and his daughter, son-in-law, family before deploying. “It was tough being home and see-Due Garg, to the Veterans Hepatology, and he eventually ended up at Strong Memorial and grandchildren live in North Carolina. ing everyone. I was gone for six months already, and thingsholiday, there will be an Larry Vaughan spent most of his life being the person who Hospital. Vaughan met a doctor who was investigating changed,” recalls Vaughan. early deadline forHere, ALL news helps save lives, but now he is on the receiving end and forever advertising the Orange on Vietnam veterans. impact for of Agent Vaughan returned to Ft. Lewis to process for this deploy-andthe 12thOrange editionswas a tactical herbicide used by the US indebted to the person who chose to save a life with theirs. Agent ment. He received inoculations, uniforms, and jungle fatiguesNovember Westsideduring News. the Vietnam War to kill and control vegeta- “I am truly fortunate to have had this second chance to live and prepared his will before being sent to war-torn Vietnam. ofmilitary adsits MUST tion.and It got name from the orange stripe painted on the thanks to an organ donor, and I want to encourage others to Vaughan recalls how hot, humid, and black the nights wereAll news in our office by storage containers. During the Vietnam War, the government consider being an organ donor. It is life-saving,” said Larry. in Vietnam. “All night long, we would hear air raid sirens, be Visit www.donatelifenys.org for more information on organ commissioned chemical companies to manufacture Agent and I said to myself, ‘This is real.’” Cddc dc LZY#! Vaughan was assigned to the 196th Infantry Brigade. Sur- Orange. It was eventually banned in the early 1970s when it donation. One person can save eight lives through organ was discovered that the chemical (dioxin) was carcinogenic. donation. rounded by strangers, he lived in the bush, assigned the job Cdk# -i]# Provided photos Therethan can100,000 be US Military Vietnam veterans have been of looking for and preventing the opposition from infiltrating More no exceptions. South Vietnam. “They were tough enemies,” he said. Most impacted by this carcinogen. It was sprayed from the planes www.applitrack.com/brockport/onlineapp/default.aspx?category=job+fair as a defoliant. Larry of Vaughan’s movements were at night. They would push in the jungles of Vietnam to function DJG D;;>8: L>AA 7: 8ADH:9 dc I]jghYVn! Cdk# .i] recalls, “Planes would spray it to open up the jungle near our VcY l^aa WZ deZc Vi . Vb BdcYVn! Cdk# &(i] firebase to kill vegetation. In two days after spraying, it would look like fall. Everything was drenched in that chemical.” After many tests, scans, and evaluations, Vaughan was told he would need a liver transplant someday. For several years, he was monitored closely with routine ultrasounds Due to Thanksgiving everythe four months, and his condition continued to deteriorate. deadline for the In February 2018, a tumor in his liver was discovered. His Westside News issue illnessof was progressing rapidly. “Everyone thought I was November 26th will besaid Larry. He was assigned to a liver transplant dying,” group the following month and began radiation treatment. TUES., NOV. 21st Fluid retention became a big issue, leading to regular trips at NOON to the hospital. As he waited, hoping for a life-saving liver transplant, the decision was made to move up the date of his Honor Flight trip. The clock was ticking on Larry’s life, and finding a match for a liver transplant was becoming dire. The offices of Westside News will close at noon on In June 2018, 69-year-old Vaughan was part of mission #60 Wed., Nov. 22nd & reopen on Mon., Nov.Honor 27thFlight at 9am. Rochester. “As sick as I was, this was the most awesome 36 hours of my life,” he said. “My welcome home Larry (right) returned from Vietnam in November 1970. He was welPublishers of was soWestside special!News The airport was flooded.” comed by his father, Herbert, mother, Mildred, and sister, Lynette. by Tami Raco
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At the Hawk Hill, Vietnam, brigade chopper pad in October 1970.
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