NH Chronicle: The Dog Tag Project
May 8th, 2024 —
Tonight, a remarkable teen is on a quest to honor fallen service members. He is asking people to adopt dog tags so no one is forgotten. Jean Mackin caught up with the Eagle Scout who's inspiring people across the country. Video Link Below (WMUR NH Chronicle)
https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-chronicle-the-dog-tag-project/60672823
2023 VFW Distinguished Patriotic Award
Connor and We Will Remember were awarded the 2023 VFW Distinguished Patriotic Award at the National VFW Convention in Phoenix, AZ.
PUBLISHED:11.28.2023
Senator Hassan Recognizes Connor Nicol of Hampton as
November’s Granite Stater of the Month
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Maggie Hassan recognized Connor Nicol of Hampton as November’s Granite Stater of the Month. Over the past three years, 15-year-old Connor has made more than 50,000 dog tags to encourage people to remember service members who died in wars overseas.
Connor was inspired to create military identification tags, commonly called “dog tags,” when he was 12 years old and watched a movie about World War II. He was struck by how young many of the service members were and he decided to take action to make sure that their names and sacrifice would be remembered. Using information from the National Archives, Connor has made dog tags for 40,000 service members who died in the Korean War and has recently expanded the project to create tags for those who died serving in the Vietnam War.
It is important to Connor that the tags go to someone who actively wants it and is dedicated to honoring the name and memory of the service member. The tags have been distributed across the country, including to Veterans Service Organizations, church groups, Scout Troops, and schools. Connor’s goal is to create and distribute dog tags for those who died in additional overseas conflicts.
Senator Hassan launched the “Granite Stater of the Month” initiative in 2017 to recognize outstanding New Hampshire citizens who go above and beyond to help their neighbors and make their communities stronger. To nominate a New Hampshire citizen to be a “Granite Stater of the Month,” constituents can complete the nomination form here.
To read Senator Hassan’s statement for the Congressional Record, see below.
I am honored to recognize Connor Nicol of Hampton as November’s Granite Stater of the Month. For the last three years, 15-year-old Connor has helped to ensure that service members who died overseas are remembered. Connor creates dog tags for people to carry, or place somewhere prominent, so that service members’ names and sacrifice will never be forgotten.
Connor was inspired to create the military identification tags, commonly called “dog tags,” while watching a movie about World War II, and he was struck by how young the service members were. Knowing that many service members never came home, he wanted to make sure that those who died overseas are always remembered. Using information from the National Archives, Connor has now made dog tags for 40,000 service members who died in the Korean War, and he has recently expanded the project to create tags for those who died serving in the Vietnam War.
The tags have been distributed across the country, including to Veterans Service Organizations, church groups, Scout Troops, and schools. Connor works to ensure that the tag goes to someone who actively wants it and is dedicated to honoring the name of the service member. In addition to keeping the name and memory of the fallen service member alive, the tag also serves to remind the person carrying it of the sacrifice these men and women made in service to our country.
Connor’s goal is to create and distribute dog tags for those who died in additional overseas conflicts, including World War II, the Vietnam War, and the Global War on Terror. If you would like to request a tag, you can do so through his website, www.wewillremember.us. Connor’s dedication to respecting and commemorating military service is a strong reflection of the Granite State spirit of patriotism. In New Hampshire, we honor those who keep our country safe, secure, and free. I thank Connor for his work to make sure that those who died in service to our country will never be forgotten.
Newspaper Article
Newspaper Article in the Hampton Union 12/8/2023
https://www.seacoastonline.com/story/news/local/2023/12/07/hampton-teen-on-a-mission-to-remember-fallen-heroes-with-dog-tags/71814952007/
Scout creates nonprofit to keep veterans’ names alive
By Sheniece Chappell April 19, 2023 1
The We Will Remember nonprofit service project may have always been Connor Nicol’s destiny.
His dad is active-duty military. His mother, grandfather and all of his great-grandfathers are veterans. When Connor was 12, he watched a movie about World War II.
All these combined caused something to click in his heart and mind.
“I kept thinking about how young all of the service members were who gave their lives for our country,” Connor says. “They really didn’t look that much older than my brothers and I.”
Connor, a Scout with Troop 810 in Vass, N.C., decided he had to do something.
In 2020, he created We Will Remember, a nonprofit organization with the mission of keeping the names of fallen veterans alive in the minds of today’s Americans.
“They didn’t get to come home to finish growing up,” says Connor, now a 14-year-old Eagle Scout. “They didn’t get to get married, have a family or live their dreams. They gave us this massive gift that we can never repay — only be grateful for — and their names become forgotten as the years pass.”
A tag for each fallen veteran
He began this journey by going through the country’s national archives and collecting information on every veteran who lost their life serving the United States.
The process consisted of making a memorial dog tag for each fallen veteran’s name. Connor attaches that tag to a piece of paper with background information on the service member and then finds a person who is willing to adopt the tag. That person agrees to keep that one name in their thoughts and prayers.
Overall, Connor’s goal with We Will Remember is to never let a fallen veteran’s name become forgotten.
“I want to create a personal connection so there is at least one person who is remembering that service member’s name — keeping their memory alive,” Connor says. “I think that this honors the sacrifice made by the service member. It also increases awareness and appreciation for the dedication and sacrifice of those who gave everything for our country to be safe.”
Hard work with great reward
So far, Connor has made more than 36,000 dog tags with the names of veterans of the Korean War. He’s currently working on tags for those who participated in the Vietnam War.
He funds the program by doing chores, arranging sponsorships and collecting donations.
“To the person who adopts the tag, they are completely free,” Connor says. “I just ask the person who takes the tag to be willing to commit to the mission and not just throw it away.”
Connor aims to share the tags he has created with Scouts any chance he gets. He’s also hoping to share them at the National Jamboree this summer.
Connor is quick to note that We Will Remember is not his Eagle Scout project.
“An Eagle project has to have an end, and I don’t see this having an end for me,” he says.
2023 Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show
We Will Remember will be at the 2023 Thunder Over New Hampshire Air Show on September 9th and 10th in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Stop by and adopt a dog tag and see We Will Remember's new tent!
Vietnam War Dog Tags
There are over 58,000 servicemembers who died in the Vietnam War. I am working on raising the money to fund those tags. I am almost 1/2 of the way there. The tags for the States of Oklahoma and California have been made and are being adopted as part of Eagle Scout projects. The tags for Pennsylvania are in the process of finding homes in that State with the help of service groups. If your group interested in joining in?
Status
All of the tags from the Korean War and the Beirut Bombing have been printed and adopted. Currently, tags from the Vietnam War are available for adoption.