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| Name | Narrative | Branch and Rank | Unit and Specialty | Conflict/Arena | Born/Died |
| Lloyd A. Cross | Lloyd Augustus Cross was born on August 28, 1889 in Laredo, Texas, the son of Randall E. and Elizabeth Bunbury Cross. At the time, Lloyd’s father was a mechanical engineer doing major projects in northern Mexico. The family moved to Winstead, Connecticut. Lloyd attended the University of Pennsylvania where he was active in track and field and held a 600-yard Middle States indoor record. He graduated with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1914. He then went to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania as a structural engineer with the steel firm of McClintock – Marshall Co. He joined the Pennsylvania National Guard and served as a private. When WWI broke out, Cross enlisted September 2, 1917 and trained with the EROTC at American University, then at Camp Gordon with the 307th Engineers, 82nd Division and was commissioned 1st Lt. in the Officers Reserve Corps. He was called into active service as a 1st Lieutenant Engineers on September 2, 1917. He then trained at Camp Dix, where he was promoted to Captain in the 24th Engineers December 11, 1917. He shipped out from the Port of Hoboken March 27, 1918 with his unit, Co. F 24th Engineers. In Europe, he faced action at St. Mihiel, Meuse Argonne, and the defensive sector Verdun. He returned to Washington DC and served in the Chief of Engineers Office May 30, 1919. He was honorably discharged September 12, 1919. By 1920, he was back living in Philadelphia and working for the American Stores. Lloyd Cross married Frances T. Kirk on June 21, 1921, at Woodlawn Presbyterian Church in Philadelphia. They purchased riverfront property at 725 Delaware Avenue in Delanco on August 14, 1922. Considering his background, Cross designed and built the unusual river-rock cottage in 1924 where it can be seen today. About 1927, Cross became intensely interested in Tacony-Palmyra Bridge then under construction and believed a similar span should be built to connect Bristol Borough with the City of Burlington. In fact, Lloyd Cross was largely responsible for planning, design, finance and construction of the Burlington Bristol Bridge. He first had to secure federal legislation to permit construction of a privately-owned interstate bridge. His original plan was for a spacious four-lane structure, similar to the Tacony-Palmyra bridge, but the market crash of 1929 made funding all but impossible. Cross redesigned it as a more modest two-lane structure and arranged financing through his former employers, McClintock - Marshall Co. of Pittsburgh. Construction of the bridge started on April 1, 1930, and the bridge opened to traffic on May 2, 1931, a period of only 13 months.The total cost of construction for the 2,300 ft. long span was $1.5 million. Once built, Cross became Secretary of the Burlington-Bristol Bridge Co. for the Local Authority of the National Recovery Act in the early 1930s and represented it with the International Bridge, Tunnel and Turnpike Association. Cross was listed as Chair of the Explosives and Demolitions Committee for the Association in 1947. He served as Secretary for the Code Authority for the Toll Bridge Industry in 1934. Lloyd and Frances adopted a son, Kirk Cross, who was born in 1935. When WWII broke out in 1941, Cross went back to active duty and saw action in the North Pacific. It was likely here that he attained the rank of Colonel. His obituary refers to him as Commander of the 304th Engineers. In a 1962 article, Cross was described as a retired Colonel in the Army Corps of Engineers and the Forest and Water District Engineer for Eastern Pennsylvania. Their son, Kirk died tragically in 1949 at the age of 14 as the result of an operation. Col. Cross retired from active service to the US ARMY Reserves February 28, 1950 with the Rank of Colonel. Frances was a cultured woman and had season tickets to the Academy of Philadelphia. Dorothy Talavera recalls that as a child she and Michael Horan were often invited to accompany her to the children’s concerts. Frances died in Delanco in 1970. Col. Cross lived in the Delanco house until his death in 1972 - nearly 50 years. The family is buried in the family plot in Green Mount Cemetery in Baltimore Maryland. | US Army/NG, Pvt US Army, 1st Lt US Army, Cpt US Army, Col | 307th Engineers F Co 24th Engineers 304th Engineers Army Corps of Engineers | WWI, France WWII, North Pacific | 1889 – 1972 |
Updated October 30, 2023