Local veteran saluted with fundraiser

SYCAMORE – When you're the guy who is always there to help a friend in need, it's difficult accepting help in return. Pride can get in the way.

But several friends of Sycamore veteran Lonnie Stojan are collaborating to salute him when he needs a little moral support. Diagnosed with stage 3 lung cancer in June, Stojan is undergoing treatment at the Veterans Administration hospital in Milwaukee.

Rather than traveling back and forth every day, Stojan stays in a dormitory-style room on the hospital campus during the week and returns home on weekends. He's receiving both chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Although he and his wife of 40 years, Bonnie, believe they have pretty good health insurance benefits and don't really need the money, their friends have organized a fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 25, at the Genoa Veterans Home, 311 S. Washington St.

"It's not really about the money. It's more about showing Lonnie that his friends care about him enough to offer their moral support," said Renee McGuan, one of the event's organizers.

The event includes a spaghetti dinner for $10, served from 4-8 p.m. Live music, provided by Brian Lavender and Whiskey Bent, will be played from 8 p.m. to midnight. The event also includes a bake sale, raffles and an auction.

For anyone unable to attend, donations may be sent to Salute to Lonnie Stojan, Resource Bank, 555 Bethany Road, DeKalb, IL 60115.



Local boy serves

A 1966 graduate of Genoa-Kingston High School, Stojan saw his friends being drafted into military service during the Vietnam War. Instead of waiting for his number to come up, he enlisted.

He served as a heavy equipment operator with the 70th Combat Engineers.

"I left on my 19th birthday and came back on my 20th," Stojan said.

He and Bonnie got married soon after he returned home, settled in Sycamore and had two children, Brandon and Melissa. Both still live in the area, and Melissa and her husband, Bud, have two daughters, Anna Mae, 3, and Cecelia, 6 months.

Stojan worked for Continental Telephone through many name changes, now known as Verizon, for over 31 years. He now works at Ideal Industries, where he's on short-term disability. Bonnie is employed at Walmart.

A member of the DeKalb County Chapter of VietNow and both the American Legion and VFW posts in Genoa, Stojan said his dad signed him up for the VFW while he was still in Vietnam.

"I've never been one to get involved in groups until VietNow. Bonnie pushed me out the door," he said. "And it's the best move I ever made."

"I just thought it would be good for him to be with people who had been through what he's been through," she said.

It's as a member of VietNow that Stojan served as the driving force behind a group of volunteers who worked to raise funds to bring the traveling replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial to Sycamore twice in 10 years.

"I'd like to see it here again, but next time I'll just sit back and let someone else take over," Stojan said.



Diagnosis and treatment

Never being short on energy, Stojan said in June, when he and Bonnie were moving to a different house, he finally felt rundown enough to seek medical attention. That was not an easy admission for Stojan, who "believes in letting nature take its course."

"I was badgering him for being lazy," Bonnie said, obviously unaware just how serious the situation was.

The pair went to the VA hospital in Madison, where Stojan underwent a battery of tests.

"They found a tumor on the left lung and said it was 'presumptive to Vietnam veterans caused by Agent Orange.' It's attached to the chest wall and close to the heart," Stojan said.

After an exploratory surgery where doctors determined they couldn't remove the tumor, they created the treatment plan Stojan is undergoing.

The Stojans can't say enough good things about the staff and facilities at the VA hospitals in both Madison and Milwaukee.

"I'm glad he's staying there in case something happens and he needs attention immediately," Bonnie said.

His treatment began Monday, Aug. 10, and will take six weeks. While in Milwaukee, he said the dorm is close to Milwaukee County Stadium and the hospital offers transportation to museums and attractions around the city. Unsure how he would feel, he said he planned to get a lot of reading done.

"I have learned one thing," Stojan said. "Don't put off going to the doctor if you're not feeling well."