THE WALL OF FACES

I was a tot when you served and lost your life. I have fuzzy memories and stories told by my Mother and Nana. Both are gone now and I am finally getting the answers they never got. Your family loves and misses you. I hope that someone reads this that knew you and could contact me at [email protected] and share any information about you. I think I am the only family member left and would love to hear about your life. God Bless you Jerry. All my love, Your Cousin Jim

Dear Jerry...today marks the 48th anniversary of your death from injuries you received in the crash of helicopter YK-13 (02/05/1968).
This past Oct (2015), Freehold High School Class of 1965 had its 50th class reunion weekend. On that beautiful fall Saturday morning, your classmates gathered at St. Rose of Lima Cemetery to dedicate a gravestone that your classmates purchased for you. The ceremony, with Marine Corp honor guard, bagpipes, remembrance speeches and taps was beautiful and touching, and left us all with the deep feeling of pride for knowing you and having you as part of our class.
A man is not truly dead as long as there is someone to remember him...please know Jerry, that you are truly loved and remembered by so many of your friends and classmates. I know you are with God....Rest in peace, Cpl.Jerry Conner ... Semper Fi

Semper Fi Corporal.

Dear CPL Gerald William Conner, sir

As an American, I would like to thank you for your service and for your sacrifice made on behalf of our wonderful country. The youth of today could gain much by learning of heroes such as yourself, men and women whose courage and heart can never be questioned.

May God allow you to read this, and may He allow me to someday shake your hand when I get to Heaven to personally thank you. May he also allow my father to find you and shake your hand now to say thank you; for America, and for those who love you.

With respect, and the best salute a civilian can muster for you, Sir

Curt Carter

This aircraft was from the Marine Medium Helicopter Squadron 364 (HMM 364) and consisted of crew members MAJ Leonard R. Demko (pilot), CAPT John J. Burke (pilot), crew chief CPL Gerald W. Conner, and crewmen SGT James D. Shelton and CPL Norman O. Copeland. On February 5, 1968 the helicopter was hit by enemy fire not long after picking up wounded near Hue. Since the mission was rather close to the HMM-364 base at Phu Bai, operations could monitor the radio traffic. Pilot MAJ Demko radioed that they had been hit and that the hydraulic and control systems were affected. They were still at a low altitude when the aircraft pitched up, rolled inverted and crashed. All crew members suffered fatal injuries in the crash. A second helicopter landed nearby and some of that crew helped rescue survivors from the crashed CH-46D. A squadron maintenance team later retrieved the wreckage with another CH-46D. It was a shocking chain of pieces held together with pipes and cables that bore no resemblance to a helicopter. [Taken from vhpa.org]