Vietnam Veteran battling cancer gets warm welcome home in Hanford

HANFORD, Calif. (KFSN) -- A Vietnam Veteran who is battling cancer received a warm welcome as he returned home to Hanford.

Gene Oliveira was diagnosed with bladder cancer eight weeks ago.

After starting chemotherapy locally, Oliveira was sent to Stanford Medicine Cancer Center, where he stayed for three weeks.

Oliveira says none of the treatments were working, so he made the decision to begin hospice care back home.

His daughter Kamala, along with other family members, friends, and neighbors, came together to make sure Oliveira received a homecoming fit for a hero.

As the ambulance transporting Oliveira pulled into the neighborhood, he was met with his loved ones lining the street.

The crowd cheered, waved American flags, and held signs in support of Oliveira as he finished his trip home.

Oliveira was awarded the Purple Heart after he was wounded in the Vietnam War.

He also earned a Bronze Star and cherishes a unit patch that was given to him by a fellow solider in the 1st Infantry Division.

Oliveira went on to serve as a corrections officer for 19 years at the Avenal State Prison before retiring in 2011.