MIDDLEBORO — Fred Z. Washburn did not live to see his 24th birthday. 

But the dedication of a memorial in his name proved that the young serviceman, who was killed in Vietnam Oct. 2, 1968, will never be forgotten. 

Family, friends and officials gathered at the bridge near 48 Wareham St. Wednesday April 24 to unveil a sign designating the structure as The Fred Z. Washburn Bridge.

Army First Lt. Washburn was killed in action when his helicopter was shot down Oct. 2, 1968 in Quang Tin Province while he was on a rescue mission. He would have turned 24 nine days later.

Washburn was “a true hero of our community,’’ Town Manager James McGrail said. He grew up on Fuller Street, the son of Margery and Zimri Washburn.

He is listed on 42W-line 65 on the wall at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He is remembered at Veterans Memorial Park in front of Town Hall. 

But to those who knew and loved him, he was far more than letters etched on a memorial. 

For his family, he was their beloved relative whose life and potential were cut short. “He was one of us,’’ said his brother in law Peter Kimpton, who is married to Washburn’s sister Marjorie.

He asked those in attendance to think of a young person they love and the future milestones they look forward to: Career, marriage, children of their own.

These things never happened for Washburn, he noted. Instead, his life ended abruptly, Kimpton said, and “so many chapters were unwritten.’’ 

Many in the crowd knew the young man personally. 

Washburn served as best man at the wedding of his best friend Walter Burrell on April 24, 1965. Burrell, who now lives in Wareham, attended the ceremony that honored the man he described as “100 percent nice. He never got mad.’’

Washburn was also a member of the Middleboro High School Class of 1962. In his yearbook, he was described as “resourceful, genial, level-headed.’’

The classmates, some of whom were in attendance at the ceremony, played a significant role in securing the memorial. 

At a recent reunion, they realized that he had no permanent memorial in town. They reached out to the town in support of honoring their classmate, a request that led to the sign being placed.

The sign will serve as a reminder of the sacrifice made by a Middleboro resident at such a young age and also as a guidepost for living, Kimpton said.

“What matters is that we aspire to be the kind of individual that will be remembered for the person we are and not just a name on a street corner.’’