FORWARD OPERATING BASE ZEEBRUGGE, Afghanistan – The fallen Marine was remembered as a comic relief by many of his friends, but as Marines and sailors gathered for his memorial service, there was no laughter. The sun shined brightly against the mountain where the Marines of Golf Battery, 2nd Battalion, 11th Marine Regiment, remembered the life of Cpl. Conner T. Lowry, who served as a fire team leader, designated marksman, and ammunition technician chief.
Dozens of Marines, sailors, and civilians paid respects to Lowry, who passed away, March 1, 2012. The ceremony included the posting of a memorial shrine consisting of Lowry’s boots, rifle, helmet, and identification “dog” tags. Maj. Gen. David H. Berger, the Task Force Leatherneck commanding general, and Sgt. Maj. Terry L. Jones, the Task Force Leatherneck sergeant major, attended the ceremony. The crowd was silent, and there was not much noise except from airplanes flying and birds chirping. Marine sentries stood on guard and watched over the ceremony.
Lowry extended his enlistment to deploy here at the northernmost frontier for the Marines in Helmand province, said Cpl. Roger W. Malcolm, a close friend of Lowry who served with him for nearly four years at Golf Battery, 2nd Bn., 11th Marines. Malcolm, a team leader and fire direction controlman, said the former battalion commander told them that they were deploying to Kajaki and it would be a dangerous mission. Their hands shot up immediately.