In 1969, a recent graduate of Council Rock High School became a fallen soldier. On June 24, a Newtown bridge was dedicated to him.
The Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and Bucks County officials dedicated County Bridge #39 on Wrights Road to the U.S. Army Warrant Officer William Herbert McDonnell, who was killed in action January 24, 1969 at the age of 19. McDonnell was a 1966 graduate of Council Rock High School.
This was the 15th dedication with the Bucks County Commissioners in honoring one of the 136 men that were killed in action or missing in action for the county.
Matthew Allen, director of Bucks County Veterans Affairs, read the citation that accompanied McDonnell’s Silver Star, the third highest military decoration for valor in combat, to the attendees.
McDonnell was with the 170th Assault Helicopter Company, 11th Aviation Brigade, in Vietnam on January 23 1969, where he served as Aircraft Commander of UH-1C Armed Helicopter on a mission to provide cover for supply convoys, transporting vital supplies to the central highlands of Vietnam. While patrolling the area, they located an enemy ambush site, and McDonnell immediately made an offensive strike at the enemy. He accurately fired rockets which forced the enemy to divert their attention from the ambush and concentrated all their efforts in defending against the on-rushing helicopter. Fire penetrated the vital parts of the aircraft, causing it to crash, mortally wounding McDonnell.
“We wish we didn't have to do these dedications and that every service member came home,” Allen said. “This, however, is just a small token of our appreciation for what Warrant Officer McDonald did.”
In honor of McDonnell’s story, a UH-1C helicopter, a gunship, flew over the ceremony while a smoke grenade erupted below it. Ed Preston, president of the Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, explained that in January of 1969, McDonnell’s company had seven gunships. One gunship that survived was 16-0823.
“823 just flew over our heads,” Preston said. “Back then, they were not assigned helicopters; they were assigned duty. We are 99.9% sure that Bill piloted that helicopter in Vietnam in combat.”
Preston explained in an interview that because there were only eight gunships and 12 pilots in McDonnell’s company, it is likely that McDonnell flew helicopter 823.
Brian McDonnell, William McDonnell’s younger brother, described William as a “100% Newtown boy.” From kindergarten to 6th grade, he attended Chancellor Street School, and then attended Council Rock High School. However, because William started basic training shortly after high school, he was off to Vietnam in an instant.
“The only time we saw him after high school was when we went to his graduation, when he was given his wings in flight school, and then he was gone,” McDonnell said.
Remembering William to be “quite the dandy,” Brian shared an anecdote about watching his brother get dressed in senior year, when he put his letterman jacket on and “preened and primped in front of the mirror like a Kardashian.” Brian started making fun of him, and told him the school’s cheerleaders did the same thing.
“And I got physically ejected from my parents' bedroom where that full-length mirror was,” McDonnell said.
After William’s death, Brian said he felt that the mood in the country was evolving beyond anti-war into a vilification of the soldiers, which led him to a dark place for years. Yet when an assistant principal at Council Rock High School set up a memorial for the 13 men from the school that were killed in Vietnam, Brian started to heal.
“Billy's been gone 56 years. It still hurts like hell. But these types of activities, including the memorial that was set up in my high school, really helped with healing,” McDonnell said. “But the memorial has expanded with Iraq and Afghanistan losses, and I hope like hell that it doesn't expand anymore.”
Placing emphasis on William’s young age, Bob Harvie, chair of the Bucks County Commissioners, spoke about what it means to send younger generations off to war.
“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. He didn't have a chance to come back here and maybe watch his grandkids play football at Council Rock, or softball,” Harvie said.
Of a community’s obligation to dedicate memorials, Harvie added, it’s also important to think about the obligation of the kinds of lives the people in the community are currently living.
“Are we living life that's worthy of that sacrifice? How are we treating each other? How are we treating our country? Are we behaving as a nation that befits the honor that we bestow on people here today like Billy?” Harvie asked.
Diane Marseglia, a Bucks County Commissioner, said she recently read “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, which is about what Vietnam soldiers not just carried physically, but also mentally and spiritually. After finishing the book, Marseglia went to the Newtown Cemetery to visit McDonnell’s grave, where she found a quote.
“It says, ‘He was a proud young American who served his country honorably,’” Marseglia said.
Speaking to the Newtown Gazette, Elen Snyder, chair of the Newtown Township Board of Supervisors, said even though she protested the Vietnam War, calling herself a “flower child,” she nonetheless highly honors the soldiers who fought for the country.
“Those that served in the war had no choices, so they deserve to be exalted just as much as anybody else,” Snyder said.
With McDonnell’s memorial being located close to Council Rock High School, Preston hopes it sparks interest in students who drive past to learn more about his service and sacrifice.
