E. Matthew "Whiz" Buckley of Top Gun Options Honored as "Hero Among Us" at Florida Panthers Game

SUNRISE, Fla., Nov. 27, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- The Florida Panthers honored retired Navy fighter pilot, Lieutenant E. Matthew "Whiz" Buckley during the Panthers' 7 PM home game versus the New Jersey Devils Monday, November 26th as part of their "Heroes Among Us" program.

The Panthers kicked off their sixth season of the Heroes Among Us program in August. The program allows the professional ice hockey team to honor active, off-duty and retired veterans living in South Florida.

In his 15 years of service, Lieutenant Buckley--whose call sign was "Whiz"--served in Operations Southern Watch, Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. Whiz was awarded the Strike/Air Medal twice for 44 combat sorties over Iraq, along with four Navy Achievement Medals for meritorious service and achievement as an F/A-18 instructor pilot and landing signals officer. Whiz is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School, also known as TOP GUN, completed two deployments to the Persian Gulf before flying the F/A-18 for the naval reserve out of Naval Air Station in Fort Worth, TX.

"I've never thought of myself as a hero," said Whiz. "Defending this country is in my blood; I was just protecting my home. Serving is an honor and a privilege. I'm very proud that my two sons plan to follow in my footsteps."

After leaving active duty in late 2000, Whiz was hired to fly for American Airlines. His first flight was scheduled on September 11th, 2001. He watched in horror as the terror attacks unfolded on his television that morning, and he immediately recognized the U.S. was under attack. Whiz quickly rose to the occasion, returning to Fort Worth to coordinate with the Texas Air National Guard F-16 pilots to fly combat air patrol over the Southwest United States with his F/A-18 squadron.

Whiz switched gears after the 9/11 terror attacks, turning to Wall Street and becoming CEO of Top Gun Options & Strike Fighter Financial, LLC, based in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale, where he teaches trading skills to investors. Whiz also published a book, "From Sea Level to C Level," based on his experience transitioning from military to business and travels around the world giving motivational keynotes to companies.

Whiz will be honored for his service during intermission at the November 26th game at the BB&T Center. For more information, visit www.FloridaPanthers.com/HeroesAmongUs.

Contact:
Megan Beck
9549606083
[email protected]

SOURCE Top Gun Options