Bucks County Bridge #161 in Buckingham Township reopened today as the Private First Class Allan George Griffin Memorial Bridge.
Griffin was killed Feb. 22, 1967, when he was accidentally struck by friendly fire. The 23-year-old had been in Vietnam for just two months when he died.
The son of a World War II veteran, Griffin was born in Newtown, New Jersey, and lived in the Pennsylvania communities of Honesdale, Pottstown, Doylestown and New Hope before he was drafted into the Army in 1966.
PHOTO: The Bucks County Commissioners on Thursday joined Buckingham Township officials and local veterans' advocates to dedicate Bucks County Bridge #161 in memory of PFC Allan George Griffin, who lived in Doylestown and New Hope before he was drafted to fight in Vietnam where he was killed by friendly fire.
“At barely 23 years old, PFC Griffin was called to serve his country and like so many of his generation he bravely answered,” said Commissioner Chair Bob Harvie. “We are indebted to him for his service and sacrifice, and it is an honor to dedicate this bridge in his name.”
The county-owned bridge dedicated in Griffin’s memory crosses Mill Creek along Upper Mountain Road. It is the fifth bridge dedicated to the memory of a fallen Vietnam soldier as part of a project, administered in partnership with local veterans’ advocate Ed Preston and the Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, meant to honor the 136 Bucks County residents killed or missing in action during the Vietnam War.
Griffin was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star with a “V” device for heroism. He was lauded for his courage in battle, his support for fellow soldiers and for the aid he provided to wounded comrades.
Griffin is buried alongside his family in Wayne County.
Media Contact: James O’Malley, 215-348-6414, [email protected]