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Laurence D. O’Connor S/Sergeant, Right Waist Gunner 9/5/1916 - 10/22/1979 Laurence “Larry” was from Burlingame, California prior to entering the Air Force. He was the son of an attorney and his wife Richard and Alice O’Connor. Larry was the second son of four boys Richard, Laurence, Francis and Gerald. He grew up in Burlingame and went to the local high school there. His family were active participants at St. Catherine of Siena a block away. Larry’s life after the war was a mystery to the Bomber Group. In polling everyone for clues there seems to be some recollection from John Garner and information in an old letter. In a letter to Phil Sorenson in 1954, he writes his current address as 205 W. 53rd St. N.Y.C. 19 N.Y. and this: P.S. Phil, I’ve been in N.Y. quite some time—working for a sporting paper. Hate N.Y. And mid—1956 I’m slated to be transferred to Los Angeles. John Garner remembers that at the POW camp that Larry mentioned his father was an attorney in San Francisco and that the family is involved with the local Catholic church. He said Larry also enjoyed horse racing. Approaching the search for him through the perspective of a genealogist new information about him and his family led to finding his nephew Richard “Kevin” O’Connor and niece Anne O’Connor Niesen. His family said he was a quiet man that did not talk much about himself. He was mysterious in many ways and that he was vague about the war and his many travels. He traveled the world with the Merchant Marines going to places such as Australia, Singapore and Hong Kong. The family was told that he suffered from amnesia and epilepsy likely due to a head injury from the war. He received ongoing treatments for his condition at the local VA hospital. The Burlingame library has some reference books identifying his addresses and jobs while on Carol Ave. They included a horse trainer, insurance clerk, MM Steamshipsman, Jr. Purser and laborer. In the 1950s he worked for a sporting newspaper and covered horse racing one of his interests. In the 1960s he worked for Lockheed in Sunnyvale. He never married or had children. He is buried with other O’Connor family members at Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery in Colma, CA. |
Copyright © 2008 by The 390th Memorial Museum Foundation |