The Brownsville Road bridge in Middletown Township was recently dedicated to honor the service and memory of a local man killed in action during the Vietnam War.
Remembering Private First Class (PFC) George Raymond Huntzinger, the community and elected officials gathered on Friday, August 23rd, to honor his service to the country. PFC Huntzinger was a resident of Lower Southampton Township, enlisted in the U.S. Army and was sadly killed in action in Vietnam on Oct. 26, 1969.
The bridge, which connects Middletown Township and Lower Southampton Township, was formally designated the PFC George Raymond Huntzinger Memorial Bridge in 2021 by then state Senator Tommy Tomlinson, said state Representative Hogan, who helped present the commemorative sign to PFC Huntzinger’s family.
Huntzinger was killed while dismantling a landmine in the Provence of Chu Lai South Vietnam, said in a Facebook event post.
A proud son of Langhorne and Neshaminy High School graduate, Huntzinger answered the call to serve in the Vietnam War as a member of the 198th Light Infantry Brigade, 1st Battalion, 52nd Infantry, D Company. He began his tour of duty on September 11, 1969, and tragically, less than two months later, on October 29th, he made the ultimate sacrifice when a land mine he was tasked with dismantling exploded, said Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick during the dedication ceremony. In his final letter home to his parents, he wrote: “After I get home, if nothing else, I will have learned to appreciate life and how good I have it. It’s funny how you take things for granted at home.”
In ending, Fitzpatrick said, “To honor his life and legacy, the Brownsville Road Bridge over Neshaminy Creek has been renamed the U.S. Army Private First Class George Raymond Huntzinger Bridge. Please join me in expressing our gratitude to George’s family for his remarkable service and sacrifice and, as always, thanking the Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund and Ed Preston for their efforts to champion and support our incredible Bucks County Vietnam Veterans community.”