Updated 30 April 2025
Follow up from our previous story.
Please continue sending John get well cards and letters—each one truly makes a difference. While the physical recovery is ongoing, it’s the emotional support that helps him push through the toughest days. Your words of encouragement, appreciation, and brotherhood have lifted his spirits more than we can express. A simple note reminding him that he’s remembered and respected goes a long way. Let’s keep that momentum going and continue surrounding this Vietnam Marine with the strength of our community.
Send your card or letter to:
John Callahan
165 Wolcott Hill Rd
Wethersfield, Connecticut 06109
As shared in our original post, John’s Vietnam-era unit challenge coin was mistakenly discarded during a recent hospital stay. It belonged to his time with the 5th Communication Battalion, 3rd Marine Division, a coin that represented not just service, but survival and brotherhood. We hoped to find a replica, but after exhausting all possibilities, we’ve had to face the hard truth: it will need to be custom reproduced.
The good news is, we found a company willing to and created just one coin. That kind of one-of reproduction is rare.
We reached out to our community once again for help.
We appreciate those who donated towards putting this irreplaceable symbol back in John’s hands.
John gave this country everything—and right now, returning this piece of his legacy is one way we can give something back.
Semper Fidelis.
I am not a veteran. I am a member of the Civil Air Patrol, the United States Air Force Auxiliary. But in 1991, personal loss brought me to a place I never left.
Over two decades later, that loss led me to the State Veterans Cemetery in Middletown, Connecticut, where I took on the coordination of Wreaths Across America — which grew into the largest and fastest growing veterans program in the state. I didn’t do it for recognition. I did it for them.
In 2016 I founded the Connecticut Veterans Bulletin. Not because I served, but because I believe those who did deserve to be honored, connected, and kept alive.
Twenty-two veterans die by suicide every day. I knew about that number before it became a hashtag. I knew it personally, long before anyone was talking about it.
This publication exists because that number is unacceptable. Because every veteran in Connecticut deserves to know someone gives a damn.
That someone is me.
Discover more from CONNECTICUT VETERANS BULLETIN
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
How much have you received for John so far? More importantly how much more do you need? I sent John a card and received a really, really nice letter back.
Thank you for asking. As time is of the essence, we couldn’t wait to place the order. We divided the total between four of us.
Candace, here’s the story;
Restoring Brotherhood: Honoring Marine John Callahan and Confronting the Legacy of Agent Orange
https://ctvetsbulletin.org/2025/04/21/restoring-brotherhood-honoring-marine-john-callahan-and-confronting-the-legacy-of-agent-orange/