On Thursday, the Bridge Street Bridge, which crosses the Stonycreek River in Ferndale Borough was officially renamed as the Private First Class Lee David Meadows Bridge.
Lee David Meadows, also called Leo by friends and family, was born on October 1, 1951 and graduated from Ferndale Area High School in 1969. After graduation, when he was just 18 years old, Meadows decided to enlist in the army.
“He was kind of adrift. I think this was an opportunity for him to work, to make some money, to do something because he knew he needed to get on with his life,” said Merill Meadows, Sister of Leo Meadows.
Meadows served during the Vietnam War, and since he loved to fly, he worked as an observation and scout helicopter repairer before he died on September 15, 1970 when his helicopter took on hostile fire and crashed.
“Yeah, Leo wanted to become a pilot. He wanted to fly. So, that’s why he would volunteer for anything that he could do,”
Meadows was later honored with the Purple Heart and many other awards and honors. Now, on the 52nd anniversary of his passing, he is bring remembered in his hometown. State Representative Jim Rigby helped make this dedication possible as Meadows was a very special person to him.
“This was very personal today. At 10 years old, I knew who my hero was and it wasn’t Spider-Man or Batman, it was Lee Meadows,”
Rigby looked up to Meadows and viewed him as an older brother and friend. Through Thursday’s ceremony, it was evident that Meadows left a lasting impact on everyone he met. Now, his family hopes that his legacy can live on through this dedication.
“Because he was cut down so early in life, it is wonderful to know that if someone does look him up, that his life continues in some way. They find out and the legacy continues,”
The sign that was unveiled read, David Lee Meadows, but that will be fixed in the coming days.
