WESLEY BLACK

REMEMBERING THOSE WE LOST

Firefighters Cancer Support Network honors and remembers America’s fire heroes that have lost their battle with cancer by sharing their stories and what they meant to their families, their communities, and our nation.

WESLEY BLACK

In Memory Of

After he graduated from Malden Catholic High School he enrolled in Norwich University and enlisted into the 3rd Battalion of the 172nd (Mountain) Regiment for the Vermont Army National Guard. Wesley was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in January 2005 for an extended tour and served his country as a rifleman and Humvee Turret Gunner. Upon returning home to Vermont, Wesley worked at the Army Mountain Warfare School in Jericho, VT where he earned his basic and advanced military mountaineer qualifications, graduated sniper school and completed his basic non-commissioned officer course. He later served a 3rd tour of duty in Afghanistan and then returned to Vermont to serve in the Vermont National Guard and met his future wife, Laura Kilgannon. Wesley graduated with an A.A. in Liberal Arts in 2014, and in the Spring of 2016 he and his wife welcomed their beautiful boy Ronan into the world.In February of 2017, Wesley was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer with metastasis to his liver after years of undiagnosed symptoms. With a newborn and a new career as a Firefighter/AEMT with the Hartford, VT Fire Department (Local 2905), Wes proceeded to do what no one else could fathom: He fought. He continued to work for the Fire Department on his off weeks of chemo. Wesley received the Meritorious Service Medal, the Bronze Star with Valor, two Purple Hearts and the Army Commendation with Valor among countless other accolades.