On November 15, 2021, the bridge at State Route 1008 over Chest Creek in East Carroll Township was officially named for the Pfc. Ken Ivory ’65. The Kenneth John Ivory Memorial Bridge honors his sacrifice in Vietnam where he was killed in action at age 19. A special ceremony was held at the Ashville VFW.
Special thanks to Marty Kuhar ’65 for sharing the program from the ceremony, which was also covered by the Altoona Mirror:
Organizers said the bridge over Chest Creek was deemed the perfect place to honor Ivory’s legacy.
Ivory grew up on a small farm just down the road from the bridge, and it was there that friends said he developed a sense of pride, accomplishment and work ethic.
He spent much of his childhood fishing over the bridge and swimming in the waters beneath, and it was in that same spot that he taught his wife, Helen Bardick, to ice skate.
“In that short window of time, he touched the hearts of all,” an emotional Bardick said of her late husband. “This is a day to reflect, remember and share all of those special moments that we had with each other.”
You can read the full article here.
Kenneth John Ivory was born on April 2, 1947, in Spangler, Pennsylvania. He attended Bishop Carroll High School in nearby Ebensburg and graduated in 1965.
In 1966, Kenneth received his draft notice and was inducted into the Army on March 3, 1966. Shortly after completing basic training and advanced individual training as an Indirect Fire Infantryman (mortarman), Kenneth received orders to report to Vietnam on August 19, 1966. Upon arrival he was assigned to Company “A”, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment of the 1st Cavalry Division in Binh Dinh Province.
In October of 1966, Ken’s Company “A” joined other elements of the 1st Cavalry Division in Operation Thayer, one of the largest operations of the war. While continuing their air and ground operations on October 17, Kenneth and other members of his company were preparing a field landing zone to facilitate additional helicopter traffic into the area. An Army helicopter, already in the landing zone, was preparing to take off but experienced mechanical control problems which caused it to violently spin and crash to the ground. Private First Class Ivory was struck by the uncontrolled aircraft’s rotor blade causing his death.
Kenneth's services and interment were conducted at Saint Monica’s Cemetery, Chest Springs, PA.
(biography from the Hall of Heroes)