Bucks County on Tuesday dedicated County-owned Bridge #39 in memory of WO1 William Herbert McDonnell, a U.S. Army soldier from who was killed in action during the Vietnam War.
McDonnell, 19, died Jan. 24, 1969, after being mortally wounded while in command of a UH-1C helicopter that was providing cover for supply convoys. During this operation, McDonnell identified and attacked an enemy ambush site, drawing fire and attention away from friendly convoys while attracting enemy fire that ultimately downed his aircraft.
McDonnell, known to his friends a Billy, was one of four killed in the crash. He posthumously received the Silver Star for his actions.
“It’s important to think about the years that Billy did not have. He did not have a chance to grow old, he did not have a chance to raise a family… But we are here thanks to him, thanks to the sacrifice of many others,” said Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie. “It’s our obligation not just to dedicate memorials like this to them, but to think about the lives we’re living. Are we living a life that’s worthy of that sacrifice?”
The bridge named for McDonnell, who grew up in Newtown, crosses Newtown Creek along Wrights Road in Newtown Township. It is the 15th County-owned bridge since 2022 to be named for a local soldier lost in the Vietnam War.
The dedications are part of the County’s Vietnam Veterans Memorial Bridge Program, which honors the 136 Bucks County residents lost in the Vietnam War. The County administers the program in partnership with Bucks County-based veterans’ advocate Ed Preston, who chairs the Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (PAVVMF).
