Road To Be Named For Montgomery County Veteran Killed In Vietnam

By Pennsylvania State Rep. Thomas P. Murt, for Patch

It’s taken 45 years, but on Sunday, September 20th, our community will recognize the service and ultimate sacrifice of Private First Class Robert S. Alexander of Willow Grove. On that day, I will dedicate a portion of Davisville Road in Upper Moreland Township, for this extraordinary young man who gave his life in the Vietnam War.

Bob Alexander was known to those who knew him best as ‘Alex.’ Alex grew-up on Silver Avenue near the old Woodlawn School. His family moved to Willow Grove in the 1950’s when his Dad was working at Standard Pressed Steel in Jenkintown as a tool and die maker. The Alexanders were a close-knit and loving family. In addition to his parents, Samuel and Ruth, Alex had a younger brother, Gary, who still lives in Upper Moreland Township.

Alex was described as a happy-go-lucky kind of kid. Alex and his family were members of the Willow Grove United Methodist Church where he was also a Boy Scout in Troop 336 and achieved the rank of Star, and was also a member of the Order of the Arrow and served as Patrol Leader. Alex attended the old Woodlawn School, the Upper Moreland Junior High School in Willow Grove, and Upper Moreland High School. Alex was a big kid who weighed about 210, but was quick and fast for a high school kid that large. He played football at Upper Moreland High School and also competed at heavyweight for the Bears Inc., Wrestling Team. Wrestling was Alex’s better sport and most meets in those days were decided by the heavyweight match. Alex’s friends, known as the Broadway Boys since they lived near Broadway in Hatboro, would lead cheers for Alex with screams of “Bo-Bo” to cheer Alex on to victory. Though he was quite mechanically inclined, and liked to work on his 1955 metallic blue 4-barrel, 4-speed Chevy Bel Air convertible, Alex was also an excellent reader and enjoyed reading various types of paperbacks. Alex’s brother Gary, told me that Alex enjoyed boxing too, and taught Gary a few things during their informal bouts in their backyard on Silver Avenue. Being a lefty, Alex was difficult with whom to box and always got the upper hand in these backyard matches with Gary and their friends.

After his graduation from Upper Moreland High School, Alex worked at Henkels and McCoy, a well-known local utility construction firm still in existence. Alex discovered that he had a talent for operating heavy equipment. Henkels and McCoy were teaching him how to operate various kinds of heavy and engineering equipment and Alex enjoyed the work very much. Alex was accustomed to physical and hard work and the challenge of learning how to operate various types of heavy equipment was interesting for Alex. He was hoping to eventually enter the Operating Engineers Union and continue on with his training. Alex had a gift in visualizing gradients and topographical features which is very helpful in doing excavations. This was long before the technology we have today for construction and excavation sites.

Alex was like most other young men in the Class of 1968 in that he was concerned about his draft status and the possibility of his being required to serve in the military. Alex received a very low draft number suggesting he was most likely going to be drafted. He was hoping to be assigned to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, so he visited an Army Recruiter and enlisted in the U.S. Army before he was drafted. He was given an assurance of being able to continue his training in the operation of heavy equipment in the Army Engineers. He enlisted about six months after his high school graduation. After Basic Training at Fort Bragg and Advanced Training at Fort Leonard Wood, Alex was assigned to the elite 31st Engineering Battalion also stationed at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.

Alex was deployed to Vietnam in June of 1969. Alex’s basecamp was at Vuoch Bin in Binh Duong Province, South Vietnam. Alex’s unit was preparing the camp for use by the 1st Air Cavalry Division by building fortifications and revetments for use by aviation and Special Forces units. Alex’s unit drew praise from the Commanding General of the 1st Air CAV DIV for their work at securing the basecamp. Alex was in Vietnam almost ten months when he was killed. He is buried at Sunset Memorial Park on County Line Road.

Like all the other families who lost a loved one in the Vietnam War, the Alexanders were truly and utterly devastated at the loss of their beloved son and brother. Gary Alexander told me that his parents never ever recovered from that loss and grieved for their son, Alex, until the day they died. Sam Alexander died in 2001 Ruth Alexander died in 2003. Even Alex’s former teachers at Upper Moreland High School have told me what a fine young man he was and how devastating his death was to the school community. Robert Alexander’s death in the Vietnam War brought that unpopular war to the families and homes in Upper Moreland Township. All of the sudden, the war was no longer just images on the 6:00 news. In the movie Forest Gump, Forest Gump said that “some of America’s finest young men fought in that war.” He was correct, and PFC Robert S. Alexander was one of them.

Our community has never properly recognized PFC Robert S. Alexander, but I am going to correct that omission on September 20th when I dedicate Davisville Road for PFC Robert S. Alexander. This ceremony will be held at the Settlement Music School at 318 Davisville Road in Willow Grove at 1:30 p.m. The public is invited to attend, with a special invitation to all Vietnam veterans.

After the signs are posted along Davisville Road, people will be reminded that a young man named Robert S. Alexander lived nearby on Silver Avenue and that he gave his life for our nation in the Vietnam War.

Rep. Thomas P. Murt represents the 152nd Legislative District which includes parts of Eastern Montgomery County and Northeast Philadelphia.