Carla Clark | For The Republic The American Legion Post 24 Honor Guard provides the Three Rifle Volleys during the Veterans Day program at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans in Columbus, Ind., Tuesday, November 11, 2025.
The weather Tuesday was quite the contrast to what Army veteran John Connor experienced while serving in Vietnam.
“As cold as it is, it makes me admire the guys from Korea much more, because I was Vietnam, we were hot,” Connor said. “This cold right here, this is probably a warm day for the guys that served in Korea.”
Despite the chilly temperatures, many gathered at the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans Tuesday for a Veterans Day service. Connor acted as this year’s keynote speaker, a role he took with pride.
“It’s a privilege to speak on this Veterans Day, a day set aside not just for remembrance, but for gratitude,” Connor said during his speech.
Connor was born in North Carolina as the son of a career Army officer. Upon graduating from high school in 1961, he attended the US Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1965, later obtaining an M.S. from Tulane.
He completed 20 years of service in the Army in 1985, serving one year in Panama, two tours in Vietnam and four years in Germany, and during which time he was certified airborne, Ranger and as a Jungle Expert. During his first tour in Vietnam, he served with the 4th Infantry Division in the jungle of Vietnam’s Central Highlands.
“I was a company officer and so I was responsible to greet these replacements that were coming in on these helicopters, so we’d bring people in and we’d take people out who were going home,” Connor said in his speech.
He has earned the Legion of Merit, three Bronze Star Medals with “V” Device for valor, two Purple Hearts, two Army Commendation Medals with “V” Device and the Combat Infantryman’s Badge. After retiring from the Army, Connor worked for Cummins in Texas, Mexico and Columbus, where he moved to in 1992.
His wife Kaye Ellen passed away from Alzheimer’s in 2020, and their two daughters Lauren and Christine currently reside in Columbus.
His daughters had also put him on an honor flight, he said in his speech, where he and over 80 fellow veterans flew from Indianapolis to Washington D.C. to spend a day visiting the memorials. The whole experience was free to veterans.
“They treat you like kings. There were 86 veterans on my flight, we each had what they called a guardian who was somebody that would help us, so 86 of those on my flight,” Connor said. “And then in addition to that, on the airplane were 86 wheelchairs in case anybody needed it, so they had put a bunch of effort into these flights and it was absolutely extraordinary.”
Tuesday’s ceremony featured a performance of the national anthem from vocalist Matthew Pillar and an invocation and benediction from pastor Austin Rohm, the worship pastor at Flintwood Wesleyan Church in Columbus. American Legion Post 24 conducted the three rifle volleys, followed by a performance of Taps by Michael Schmelz with the Columbus City Band.
Southern Indiana Pipes and Drums performed as members with Gold Star Mothers, American Legion and VFW Auxiliary presidents, and Daughters of the American Revolution laid wreaths at the base of the Bartholomew County Memorial for Veterans.
Among the observers of the ceremony were a handful of Vietnam War veterans, including Willis Bahnsen, who served from 1968 to 1969 as an infantry platoon leader. Though they had never met prior to Tuesday, Connor and Bahnsen shared a lot in common, both serving in Vietnam in infantry and in similar locations and working at Cummins.
“I thought (Connor’s speech) was excellent, I really enjoyed it and it’s nice to be able to hear someone who has actually shared the experience and tell you some stories about what they actually did,” Bahnsen said. “I’m glad he had the opportunity.
Connor said serving asks for courage and for ordinary Americans to do extraordinary things because they believe it’s the right thing to do. While ceremonies and parades are important ways to honor veterans, Connor told the audience Veterans Day is much more than that.
He relayed a statistic he heard that in 2022, there were 17 suicides daily among veterans, and from what he understands, that is worse now. On Veterans Day, we must also ask what our duty is to those who have already fulfilled theirs, Connor said.
“… we need to listen to these veterans and understand what they’re doing,” Connor said in his speech. “We can all play a part in that, whether you’re an employer, a student, a neighbor or a friend, reach out to the veterans in your life. A simple thank you for their service means more than you might imagine. And for those Vietnam guys, welcome home guys.”
