Classmates place headstone to honor friend killed in war

By CLARE MARIE CELANO
Correspondent

 The flags of the United States and the U.S. Marine Corps are presented during a ceremony to honor U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gerald W. Conner, of Colts Neck, who was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Members of the combined class of 1965 at Freehold Regional High School and Southern Freehold Regional High School placed a headstone at Conner’s grave during their 50-year reunion weekend.  LISA HIERING The flags of the United States and the U.S. Marine Corps are presented during a ceremony to honor U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gerald W. Conner, of Colts Neck, who was killed in Vietnam in 1968. Members of the combined class of 1965 at Freehold Regional High School and Southern Freehold Regional High School placed a headstone at Conner’s grave during their 50-year reunion weekend. LISA HIERING High school reunions are traditionally sprinkled with reminiscing, photo sharing, lengthy conversations and laughter. A group of friends who met recently for their 50th class reunion did something more — they honored a fallen classmate who did not return from military service in the Vietnam War

“Gone but not forgotten” was the phrase that suits the Oct. 17 reunion which included a ceremony to honor U.S. Marine Corps Cpl. Gerald William Conner, of Colts Neck, who was killed in action in Vietnam in 1968.

Conner was honored by the combined class of 1965 from Freehold Regional High School (now Freehold High School, Freehold Borough) and Southern Freehold Regional High School (now Howell High School). Conner was a graduate of Freehold Regional High School.

The classmates had been together at Freehold Regional High School until Southern Freehold Regional High School opened and some of the students were sent to the new school for their senior year.

As part of the reunion, a group of graduates purchased a headstone for Conner’s grave — until now the grave only had a small marker — and arranged for a military ceremony to be held at the St. Rose of Lima Cemetery, Freehold Township, on Oct. 17.

About 50 of Conner’s classmates attended the ceremony and were joined by representatives of the Marine Corps League Cpl. Philip A. Reynolds Detachment and the Vietnam Veterans of America.

According to Harry Carter, of Howell, who is a U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran, “Cpl. Gerry Conner was the crew chief on a (medical evacuation) flight from HMM- 364, MAG-36, 1st Marine Air Wing.

“His aircraft was shot down while on a medical evacuation mission near Hue City, Vietnam, during the Tet Offensive on Feb. 5, 1968.

“Cpl. Conner survived the crash, was rescued by chase aircraft and delivered to the U.S. Air Force hospital at Cam Rahn Bay, where he eventually died on Feb. 20, 1968.”

Carter, who is a graduate of Southern Freehold Regional High School, headed up the reunion committee. He said the idea to purchase the headstone came from Ken Errickson, of Howell, who also graduated from Southern Freehold Regional High School. Errickson is a retired Freehold Township police officer, a military veteran and a member of the reunion committee. The classmates raised about $3,000 for the headstone.

“The headstone was placed last fall, but it was our intention to hold a dedication ceremony during our 50th reunion weekend,” Carter said, adding that classmates came from as far away as Florida, California, Texas and Washington for the reunion.

Carter and Conner were high school football teammates. He said Conner was a “hard worker.”

“Gerry signed up (for the Marines) right out of high school in 1965. He just want to be a Marine,” Carter said.

Carter said he read about Conner’s death in the Freehold Transcript, the local newspaper his parents sent to him while he was stationed in Alaska. Carter served in the Air Force from 1966-70 and served one tour in Vietnam.

“It hits you in the stomach,” he said, remembering the moment when he read about his friend’s death. “I remember thinking, ‘damn, no. Gerry, no.’ ”

He said people were in tears at the end of the ceremony, which included an account of the incident that led to Conner’s death, read by detachment Commandant Jeff Vollmar. He read from material provided by the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association and the HMM-364 Command Chronology, as well as fellow Marines.

“Reunion committee member and Vietnam vet Joe McKee said a prayer for our deceased classmate,” Carter said.

According to Carter, Joseph Wurtz, a retired New Jersey State Police trooper, played the “Marine Corps Hymn,” “The Minstrel Boy” and “Amazing Grace” on bagpipes, evoking emotion in attendees.

The most inspirational and emotional moment for everyone, according to Carter, came when Wurtz played “Amazing Grace.”

“I’m tearing up, even now, when I remember,” he said. “He began playing very quietly then gradually got louder and then, toward the end of the song, he turned away from the headstone and walked off into the distance with the music fading.”

Wurtz’s performance led into the playing of “Taps” by Kate Freeman of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

After the ceremony, the classmates gathered at Federici’s in downtown Freehold to share a meal and memories.

“We managed to stay close even with the split in the two schools. I think that split actually brought us closer together,” Carter said.

Fellow classmate Thomas Hartman, who graduated from Freehold Regional High School, remembers Conner as “just a really nice guy.”

“Oct. 17 was a beautiful day. I was glad to be there with my classmates for the dedication,” he said. “I was not in the military, but was glad to be there with our friends. I was glad we could contribute to the headstone. It is a nice feeling to be able to do something for your fellow classmate.”

Errickson said he and Conner were good friends. He served in the military from 1966-70 and was stationed in Florida when he received a call with the news of Conner’s death.

“It leaves a deep hole in your heart, even now,” he said. “Gerry was a dedicated, determined, solid, dependable guy, one you wanted as a friend.”

Errickson said that during the ceremony, an experience he described as “spiritual” occurred. He noted the tradition of the military’s “missing man formation,” when planes fly in a “V” formation with one aircraft missing in the formation to signify a “missing” man.

Errickson said that when he looked up, directly overhead, there was a small flock of geese in a “V” that appeared to him as the missing man formation.

“When the geese flared away and headed northwest, the left side of the wing had an even number of birds and the right side had an odd number. One bird was missing in the formation,” Errickson said. “Then, at the end of the presentation, a red-tailed hawk soared over us. I believe in God and I believe these were signs, an indication that Gerry’s death was being acknowledged by God. It really got to me.”