DOBBINS AIR RESERVE BASE, Ga. -- Lorenza Conner was born and raised in Cartersville, Georgia. As an Airman he gave his life for his country.
Born Feb. 19, 1943, Conner was a diligent student. He was described as kind by those who knew him and decided before he went to college that he wanted to fly planes. Conner attended Tuskegee Institute (now Tuskegee University). He was a member of Omega Psi Phi and graduated with honors from Air Force ROTC. After graduation, Conner entered the active-duty Air Force where he went on to fight in the Vietnam War.
On Oct. 27, 1967, pilots 1st Lt. Lorenza Conner and Capt. Jon D. Black were flying an F-4D Phantom II fighter. They were the number two aircraft in a formation flight of four. Black and Conner’s aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft artillery fire and later crashed in the Son Duong District of the Tuyen Quang Province.
Reports from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam said one parachute was seen and one electronic beacon signal was heard after the fighter plane was struck. The flight leader established contact with Capt. Black on the ground.
“[Conner’s] seat malfunctioned and he told Black to go ahead and eject,” recalled Terri Durrah, first cousin of Conner.
It was reported that Conner could not reach the ejection handle which he said repeatedly to Black over the intercom. After Black ejected, there was no sign of Conner. The aircraft disintegrated prior to impact.
After the crash, while Conner carried the status of Missing in Action, the U.S. Air Force promoted him to the rank of captain.
Black was captured by Vietnamese forces.
“During the time Black was captured, it was really hard for him,” reported Durrah.
Black was returned to U.S. control on Feb. 16, 1968 where he was able to report the events of the day their aircraft went down.
Prior to the crash in Vietnam, Conner flew from Dobbins ARB to California, from California to Hawaii; from Hawaii to Thailand, then to Vietnam.
In August 1992, a Hue City Hotel staff member approached a member of a joint investigation team with a tip that a local had buried the remains of three Americans. Conner’s name was provided along with service number, blood type and religion.
Over the next several years the team investigated the claim, interviewing three alleged firsthand witnesses. Due to the area’s varied terrain, they faced difficulty in locating the remains. From October to December of 2007, the team made more progress than previous attempts. They found a woman who said her husband had discovered and reburied the remains from the crash site. The team was taken to the area where the remains were believed to be buried.
“They had to do a DNA testing of his remains and my mother, Daisy, because she was his closest living relative,” said Durrah.
Durrah said, Conner’s remains were verified in June 2008. Durrah’s mother, Daisy Pearl Durrah, was presented with the military ceremonial flag at Conner’s memorial service October 25, 2008.
Conner had an honorable home going service after the recovery of his remains. The route of his journey from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, in Atlanta, to his hometown of Cartersville, Georgia, was made public. People came out in large numbers to pay their respects and salute Capt. Conner.
He is now buried in his hometown and memorialized in numerous Vietnam War dedications throughout the nation.