Walter Fairchok was born on July 29, 1920 in Scranton, PA. He enlisted in the Army Air Force at age 20 and attended the Casey Jones School of Aeronautics in Newark, NJ. Vera Bohovka was born in Scranton in 1925. She was a member of the first graduating class of West Scranton High School, Class of 1943, and then was employed by the Bell Telephone Co. of Pennsylvania. By 1943, Walt had requested assignment into Aviation Cadets.
After initial training, Walt was assigned to bases in Alabama, Georgia and Arkansas for successive training to earn his Wings in November, 1943. In the next year Walt took B-17 transition training in Ohio, then was stationed in Framlingham, England.
Major Fairchok flew 35 missions over Europe in World War II, including dropping supplies behind enemy lines during the Warsaw uprising in September 1944. After the war he participated in the 1946 atomic bomb tests as a photo-pilot F-13 at Project Crossroads in Bikini Atoll, Marshall Islands and later flew B-29’s with the Air Weather Service in California.
Assignment to Olmstead AFB in Middletown, PA brought Walter closer to home. On June 13, 1948 he married Vera Bohovka from his hometown of Scranton. They lived in Middletown until a move in 1951 to Westover AFB, Massachusetts. In September of that year Walt was assigned to Special Air Missions in Weisbaden, Germany where he flew VIPs over Europe. In the next year, at his own request, he was released from flying status due to an optic problem. The Fairchoks returned to the U.S. in 1955 for Walt’s assignment to the Pentagon as an intelligence officer.
Major Fairchok retired from the Air Force on December 31, 1960 and was the proud wearer of the following medals: Distinguished Flying Cross, five battle stars in European Theater, and Air Defense. Thirty years later he received the Polish Home Army Cross for the “Drop Supplies” mission in World War II, 1944. After retirement, Walt worked for eleven years as a civilian at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Arlington, VA which became the couple’s home.
It was in the years 1955 to 1990 that the Fairchoks were active at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC, from when services were first held in the above-ground basement building. They supported the Building Fund for construction of the upper structure, purchase of the Annex, bell tower addition, and the iconography project. Vera sang soprano in the choir. In the early 1970s she was very supportive of the fledgling English language choir. Walt worked at the candle counter and was readily available to undertake needed tasks for the church. They both belonged to the "R" Club and worked at the annual bazaars.
After suffering a second stroke in 1990, Walter became homebound. Vera cared for him until his death on November 15, 1994. For her remaining years as a widow, Vera continued at St. Nicholas until ill health necessitated her move to a senior home in Pennsylvania where she became a parishioner at Holy Trinity Orthodox Church in Wilkes-Barre. She died December 15, 2005 and was buried from her home church in Scranton.
Walter was a cheerful fellow with a great sense of humor, always a hit with youngsters at church. Vera was reserved and cautious. Together they made a lovely couple well respected at St. Nicholas. May their memory be eternal.
