Op-ed: A Veterans Day speech about a remarkable veteran
This message was written by Nate LaMar, who intends to deliver it as a speech at Veterans Day programs in Henry and Wayne counties. Chris O’Connor passed away Sept. 20 in Oxford, Ohio, while visiting his son at Miami University. We were West Point classmates and cadet company mates all four years. We did not get along initially: He was a blue-collar Irish Catholic, leftist Democrat hockey player from Massachusetts, while I was a W.A.S.P. farm boy, conservative Republican distance runner from Indiana. But we made it through plebe year and its academic difficulties. Becoming a cadet training officer is a job nobody wants, as you are in charge of dreaded drill for parades. But in the “leadership laboratory” that is West Point, at the end of junior year, our tactical officer told Chris he was recommending him for this role, as he didn’t care what other cadets thought of him! Chris was tough and had thick skin. We became friends and were both proud to graduate in the top 75% of our class. We roomed together at Fort Sill during Field Artillery School. We enjoyed Oklahoma, visiting nearby Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge and Lawton’s ethnic restaurants. Thanks to
