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.

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