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On Monday, May 27th at the Jesse Soby American Legion Post #148 in Langhorne Borough, retired U.S. Army veteran Steve Kilde presented honors earned but never received by SP5 Mebs to members of his family.
On Wednesday, May 29, Kilde was a guest speaker when the Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Fund (PAVVMF) and Bucks County named Bucks County Bridge #89, between Newtown Borough and Newtown Township, in honor of Mebs.
Mebs was killed in 1970 while almost single-handedly extinguishing a fire in an ammunition dump at Fire Support Base Veghel in the Thua Thien Province of Vietnam.
He and his comrades from C Battery 1/83 artillery unit had just moved into the location and had no protective bunkers when the fire broke out.
Mebs was one of two bulldozer drivers who worked with approximately 20 other soldiers to fight the blaze. As the fire intensified everyone took cover except for Mebs, who stayed on his bulldozer and smothered the explosion.
According to “More Than Names On A Wall” by James McComb, “nothing was left except the blade and some parts. Because of Frank’s heroism, only one other person was killed.”
Kilde, who had been tasked with recovering the wreckage of Mebs’ bulldozer and other equipment in that incident, grappled with the aftermath for decades before speaking with a Disabled American Veterans therapist as part of a study on PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder).
The sessions spurred Kilde to locate Mebs’ family. Working with government offices up to and including the White House, Kilde identified and secured awards that Mebs was to have received but had been missing from official government records.
These included: the Army Commendation Medal, the Good Conduct Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal First Class, the Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Medal with palm, a Presidential Unit Citation, and a Meritorious Unit Citation with three oak leaves.
Kilde travelled from Lee’s Summit, MO to present those honors to members of Mebs’ family on Monday, May 27th, exactly 54 years to the day after the incident.
The presentation took place prior to the start of the Langhorne Borough Memorial Day Parade at the Soby Post, 115 West Richardson Avenue in Langhorne Borough.
On Wednesday, May 29th, Kilde and representatives of the Mebs’ family participated when the SP5 Frank Martin Mebs’ Bridge was unveiled by the PAVVMF and Bucks County.
The bridge is on Barclay Street, spanning the Newtown Creek, at the border of Newtown Township and Newtown Borough.
During the Newtown Bridge Dedication Ceremony, Meghan Frazier, niece of SP5 Mebs, said, ““My uncle sacrificed his life to save more people than we could ever imagine. His remains were then recovered and delivered to safety by the same means that led us all here today.
Frazier added, “Mr. Stephen Kilde reached out to our family on a mission; a mission to obtain the medals he felt Frank was rightfully owed. He didn’t leave my uncle behind 54 years ago and he hasn’t left him behind after all this time. Here we are today in Frank’s hometown, having received a beautiful shadow box of medals that we never knew were missing and witnessing this beautiful bridge dedication just minutes from where Frank grew up.”
A native of Newtown, Mebs left Council Rock High School in 1966 to enlist in the US Army and was beginning his 19th month in Vietnam on May 27, 1970.
He was serving with the US Army Engineer Command, 18th Engineer Brigade, 45th Engineer Group, 27th Engineer Battalion, A Company when FSB Veghel came under suspected enemy attack.
Friendly mortar return fire fell short, igniting the ammunition dump. Don Aird, a soldier at the scene, later said that Mebs’ actions may have saved 600 lives.
The Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (PAVVMF) is working with Bucks County on the dedication of bridges in honor of Bucks County servicemen and women who died in the Vietnam War.
In 2021, the PAVVMF dedicated the Lower Bucks County Vietnam Veterans Memorial (LBCVVM) to Lower Bucks victims of the Vietnam War.
Many of its members also were instrumental in bringing the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall to Bucks County in 2017. For more information about the Lower Bucks County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, visit https://www.facebook.com/LBCVVM/
PHOTO CAPS:
MEBS1: From left: Matt Allen, Director of Veterans Affairs for Bucks County; Ed Preston, Chair of PA Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund; Bob Harvie, Bucks County Board of Commissioners Vice Chair; Steve Kilde, Frank Mebs’ former instructor; Meghan Frazer, Frank Mebs’ niece; William Mebs, Frank Mebs’ brother; Diane M. Ellis-Marseglia, Bucks County Board of Commissioners Chair; and Gene D. DiGirolamo, Bucks County Board of Commissioners Secretary, stand together on newly dedicated Newtown bridge.
MEBS2: From left: William Mebs and Paul Schneider, Pennsylvania Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund (PAVVMF) unveil the sign dedicating the bridge to SP5 Frank Martin. Mebs.
MEBS3: Steve Kilde (from left), with the help of Ed Preston, presents a quilt with all of Frank Mebs’ medals listed on it to Meghan Frazer for her and her family.