Connor, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Courageous Kids Contest Winner
April 10, 2026
Connor, Marine Corps Veteran Courageous Kids Contest Winner
This High School Junior Launched a National Nonprofit That Honors Veterans
New Hampshire teen, Connor, understands the meaning of service and sacrifice. During his father’s active-duty Marine Corps career, Connor experienced seven PCS moves, multiple tours of his father’s recruiting duty and deployments, and two years of separation while his family lived in one place while his father completed a duty tour elsewhere.
Life changed for the now-17-year-old and his family when his father suffered a traumatic brain injury, mobility issues, and post-traumatic stress disorder from an improvised explosive device during a deployment to Iraq. Connor serves as his father’s workout partner and is “a true part of the support system,” Elizabeth, his mother and nominator noted.
“Connor has exhibited strength and courage and has turned a horrible realization of the reality of military life into a life mission.” - Elizabeth, Connor’s Mother and Nominator
Connor has cultivated a deeper empathy and commitment to the military community through what he has experienced as a military kid. At 12, he founded We Will Remember, a national nonprofit that encourages people to remember and honor individual service members who were killed in action.
Using his chore money and donations, Connor researches, produces, and sends dog tags bearing the names of service members to people who request them. Currently, over 120,000 dog tags, recognizing service members from the Korean War, Vietnam War, and the Beirut Marine Corps barracks bombing, have been claimed.
Connor hopes that Americans will use the dog tags as a daily reminder of the sacrifice of others perhaps by learning the service member’s name, keeping the tag in a prominent place, or praying for the service member. In 2023, Connor received the Distinguished Patriotic Award from Veterans of Foreign Wars for his work. He has been featured in the media, including in a CNN spotlight.
“My favorite part about being a military kid would be getting to visit and live in a lot of different places.” - Connor
In addition to running his nonprofit, Connor is an Eagle Scout and three-season athlete who enjoys playing video games with friends from previous duty stations. As Connor transitions into his senior year of high school, he would like to follow in his father’s boot-steps.
“I plan to apply for an ROTC scholarship and would love to have the opportunity to earn a commission in the Marine Corps,” he said.
Learn more about the Our Military Kids activity award program at: https://www.ourmilitarykids.org
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