Newtown Vietnam Hero To Be Honored With Bridge Dedication

NEWTOWN TOWNSHIP, PA — A 19-year-old Newtown man killed in Vietnam while commanding a Huey gunship will be remembered when a bridge on Wrights Road is named in his honor this week.

The Lower Bucks County Vietnam Veterans Memorial and Bucks County Government, which have been renaming bridges throughout the county in memory of the county’s Vietnam heroes, will honor WO William Herbert McDonnell, U.S. Army, who gave his last breath on Jan 24, 1969, in the jungles of Vietnam flying the now famous Bell UH-1C, Iroquois, Huey Gunship.

First introduced in 1959, the Huey was the first turbine-powered helicopter in the U.S. military and the first of the prolific Huey family. It was used for troop and cargo transport, medical evacuations, aerial attacks, and as helicopter gunships.

Early in the morning of January 24, 1969, one of these aircraft crashed and burned near Strong Point No. 10, about 13 miles west of An Khe. The UH-1C helicopter gunship from the 170th Attack Helicopter Company “Buccaneers” was in low-level flight for LZ Schueller when it lost hydraulics after reportedly being hit by fragments from a rocket-propelled grenade.

The helicopter entered into a left turn and never recovered, impacting the ground inverted. There were no survivors. The lost crew included aircraft commander WO1 William H. McDonnell, pilot WO Scott C. Griswold, crew chief SP4 Bruce W. Westmoreland, and gunner SP4 John O. Tafoya.

For his service in Vietnam and his actions, Commander McDonnell was awarded the Silver Star for his ultimate sacrifice.

The bridge dedication takes place on Tuesday, June 24 beginning at 11 a.m. at Bridge 39, 192 Wrights Road. The event will also be live-streamed on Facebook (Lower Bucks County Vietnam Veterans Memorial)