Many locals don’t know about their hometown heroes–the men and women who grew up playing on Scituate beaches, learning at Scituate schools, and later fighting to protect their country. Some hometown heroes paid the ultimate price for their courage; one of those brave people is John P. Connors. 

Connors was born on March 28, 1964, and grew up in Scituate. He made many lifelong friends in his community. An alumnus of Boston College High School (1982) and Worcester Polytechnic Institute (1987), Connors was always eager to learn, achieve, and serve. After graduating from college, he served in the U.S. Navy and became a United States Navy SEAL. 

On December 20, 1989, in Paitilla, Panama, LTJG Connors was killed in action during Operation Just Cause. He was 25 years old. 

Connors was posthumously awarded the Silver Star, the third-highest award for valor in the U.S. Armed Forces, for his bravery and selfless service. His family also established the John P. Connors Memorial Project in his memory. The foundation works to memorialize Connors and provides scholarships to Boston College High School students.  

Following substantial fundraising efforts by the John Connors Memorial Project, town officials met this spring with interested parties and a nationally recognized sculptor to discuss the installation of a statue in Scituate to commemorate Connors. Several concerns were addressed regarding the memorial’s size, location, and cost. American sculptor Chas Fagan, whose work has also been commissioned by the White House Historical Association, answered questions. The Scituate Select Board subsequently voted to install a statue dedicated to Connors at the Town Common. 

Fagan’s design, a larger-than-life bronze and granite statue, honors Scituate’s military veterans’ bravery, sacrifice, and patriotic commitment. With the establishment of this new memorial statue on the Scituate Town Common, LTJG Connors will never be forgotten. 

To learn more about the John P. Connors Memorial Project, visit their website: https://www.ameasureofaman.org/