William Val Springfield★ Vietnam War Gold Star Veteran from Ohio
On May 13, 1969 Specialist Four Springfield was declared a casualty of the Vietnam War. ★ He served with honor in the United States Army. ★ He is remembered by the people of Ohio. ★ May his positive example inspire us. Working together towards peace, mutual respect, and equality for all.
▶ Submit Update Request ▼ Content Integrity Note
Our displayed data concerning the life and military history of William Val Springfield is a work in progress. We've assembled a list of elements we are in the process of researching and reviewing. This profile was last edited on 2015-03-28 08:05:34.
Missing : Core Data
· Burial or memorial location
Missing : Supplemental Data
· Birth + childhood location· Educational background
· Marriage history
· Parents, family history
· Expanded references and citations
Service Details
| This Profile ID | 299646 |
| Service ID | 51836930 |
| Name | William Val Springfield |
| From | Elyria, Lorain County, Ohio |
| Birth Date | May 7, 1942 |
| Casualty Date | May 13, 1969 |
| War | Vietnam War |
| Service Branch | Army |
| Rank | Specialist Four |
| Specialty | Light Weapons Infantry |
| Unit/Group | 101st Airborne Division, 3rd Battalion, 187th Infantry, D Company |
| Casualty Type | Died through hostile action .. air crash on land |
| Location | Dong Ap Bia Hamburger Hill 11-21 May 69, South Vietnam, Thua Thien province |
| Notable Awards |
★ Purple Heart |
| Remembered |  William is honored on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial in Washington DC. Name inscribed at VVM Wall, Panel 25w, Line 111. |
Additional Details
The Battle of Hamburger Hill (Hill 937) was a ten day ordeal from May 10–20, 1969. Although the heavily fortified hill was of little strategic value, U.S. command ordered its capture, only to abandon it soon after.The battle was primarily a U.S. Airborne infantry engagement. Attacks were repeatedly repelled by the well-entrenched NVA defenses. Bad weather also hindered operations. Nevertheless, the Airborne troops took the hill through direct assault, causing extensive casualties to the NVA forces. In the end over 50 Americans were killed and nearly 400 wounded in addition to several helicopters shot down. The debate over Hamburger Hill reached the United States Congress, with severe criticism of military leadership and it is considered a watershed event of negative public opinion toward the Vietnam War. |
Commendations + Awards
Please note this might not be a complete or completely accurate accounting. For some awards we use probability factors based on known service details. Thanks for your understanding.
★ Purple Heart
★ Combat Infantryman Badge
★ Marksmanship Badge
★ Parachutist Badge
★ National Defense Service Medal
★ Vietnam Campaign Medal
★ Vietnam Service Medal
★ Army Presidential Unit Citation
★ Vietnam Gallantry Cross
Notable Reference Sources
These are typically links to pages on external sites that have provided specific nodes of information. In most cases the information has some assurance of being crowd-sourced and vetted by a community of users.Ohio Gold Star Veterans Gallery
Honoring the men and women of Ohio who gave their all for their country. May their example of courage and sacrifice be our guide. To be strong and responsible in our lives as citizens of the world. 
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
Through honest daily actions, we honor them.
Ohio was home to over 28,548 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
Ohio was home to over 28,548 American Gold Star veterans from 4 wars of the 20th Century. Some significant statistics:
• 4,530 World War I
• 19,064 World War II
• 1,855 Korean War
• 3,099 Vietnam War
• 376 Prisoners of war
• 4,216 Missing in action
• 103 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 245 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 33 Medal of Honor recipients
• 19,064 World War II
• 1,855 Korean War
• 3,099 Vietnam War
• 376 Prisoners of war
• 4,216 Missing in action
• 103 Pearl Harbor casualties
• 245 D-Day Normandy casualties
• 33 Medal of Honor recipients
Guardians of Honor Credits
▼ Organizational Supporters - HonorStates.org and the National Unified Archive of American Gold Star Veterans is stringently curated. This attention to quality extends to our supporters program. We carefully research and screen prospective organizations we perceive as being suitably aligned with our mission
▶ USS Midway Museum 75th Pearl Harbor Wall of Honor
▶ Balboa Park Veterans Museum
▶ San Diego Coin & Bullion
▶ National Memorial Day Parade with Spirit of 45
▼ Research Contributors - Groups and individuals who have been directly responsible for curating content. Some are experienced historians and archivists, others are enthusiastic members of the public who have suggested content additions or corrections.
Honor States Admin
Roy "Joker"
Sarah Jo "Lady Chaos"
▼ Primary Sources - These are repositories for artifacts, documents, diaries, manuscripts, and other information that serve as original and authoritative sources of information.
National Archives (NARA)
Library of Congress (LOC)
Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA)
Findagrave.com
Ancestry.com
Honoring our fallen. Together. Uniting us in meaningful common cause. When we work together to honor our Gold Star veterans, we heal our nation together. It's a team effort. Everyone's invited to join as a Citizen Historian and Guardian of Honor. - learn more
Here is Some Important Information!
Rolling Thunder National Riders
Incorporated in 1995, Rolling Thunder, Inc is a registered non-profit organization with over 90 chartered chapters throughout the United States. Members are old and young, men and women, veterans and civilians. All united in the cause to bring full accountability for the POW/MIA of all wars, reminding all of our watchwords: We Will Not Forget.
★ Featured National Supporter
Our Supporters are Essential Team Members! - learn more
Wayne - I am so very proud of all our men and woman that have served and are serving. Our family owes a debt we can never pay in full.
Taylor - It is unbelievable what these young Americans sacrifice to preserve our freedom. I'm inspired and humbled by them all.
Derek - We must never forget what these men gave for us. This site is a great way to show tribute to our Heroes. Stay the course!
Corvin - Young people of all generations need to know the sacrifices made by those who preceded them. I'm impressed with the work you're doing.
Copyright 2024, Created in the USA
General Disclaimer - This is a private sector project developed by Hello Pineapple LLC. Although we enter into collaborative associations with many supporting organizations, this site is not owned or operated by any Government body. All information found on this site has been obtained through fair use public contributions. We've done our best to craft a valuable and comprehensive product for the benefit of our world's collective history, however we make no claims of 100% accuracy. :)
Furthermore, the information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended as legal or contractural advice. Parts of this website may include sections that may be considered advertising in a broad sense. All information is current at the time of publication, however it is subject to change by it's very nature.