Cartersville Homecoming

10/27 by SportsterJohn. In October of 1967, a young Air Force Pilot took off on a mission over the Tuyen Quang Province in North Vietnam.  41 years later he has returned home.  The remains of Air Force Captain Lorenza Conner were laid to rest in Cartersville GA. on Saturday Oct 25th with hundreds of family members, friends and veterans on hand to honor the returned hero.

Captain Conner was one of those people who had 'it'.  He was the valedictorian of his high school class, Quarterback of his high school football team and president of the student body.  He was one of those guys who could have achieved almost anything he wanted in this world.  What he wanted to do is serve. 

Picture provided by the Conner Family.

After graduating high school. Lorenza went to school at Tuskegee University then enlisted in the Air Force where he became an F-4 pilot. He was shot down on Oct 27th, 1967 at the age of 24.  On Oct 25th, the community came together to honor and remember the returned hero.

The PGR put together a mission at the family's request to escort Captain Conner's remains as well as participate in a celebration of a life that ended way to soon. The day stated out cool and blustery as the bikes began to gather in the Kroger parking lot in Cartersville.  As the temperature warmed, dozens and dozens of bikes and Veterans Motorcycle clubs and organizations rolled in.  When we got word that it was time to move to the funeral home, there were close to 300 bikes.

The ride was well organized thanks to the PGR ride captains and the City of Cartersville Police dept along with the Bartow County Sheriffs dept.  We rode down Main street to Trinity United Methodist Church then set a flag line to greet Capt. Conner and his family who came from all over the country.

The service was very emotional as 12 speakers reminded the filled to capacity church how gifted a young man Capt. Conner was and how he had touched many people in his too short life. After the church service, the bikes mounted up for the final leg of this journey, escorting Capt. Conner to Oak Hill Cemetery to finally intern this American Hero back home where he belongs.


Although this article is a celebration of Capt.  Lorenza Conner's life, I would like for you, the reader, to also remember that there are still hundreds of American Heros who still have not returned home from Vietnam and other foreign lands.  Keep them and their families in your prayers and never forget.

 


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