Singer Rick Springfield recounted an incident during his 1968 tour of Vietnam, where he claims he killed a person by firing a mortar shell. Springfield shared the experience, which has long haunted him, during an appearance on "The Joe Rogan Experience" podcast.
Springfield's band traveled to Vietnam to entertain American troops, a common practice for bands seeking to earn money during the war. He described the situation as "insane," noting that his band, which included women, was hired to provide a reminder of home for the soldiers. They spent approximately four months touring the war zone.
What began as entertainment quickly escalated to a combat situation when the base where Springfield and his band were staying came under attack. He recalled taking cover in perimeter bunkers and manning the radio shack, where he was instructed to fire mortar shells.
"The hardest thing for me was that I had thrown a mortar down, and it had hit somebody, and they came in the next day and said, 'Hey, you got one. You got one,'" Springfield told Rogan. He described the moment as feeling like "John Wayne time" for a young person, where he didn't fully grasp the gravity of his actions. The reality of being responsible for ending a life, even in the context of war, has been difficult for him to process.
"It’s hard for me to kind of face that I was responsible for the end of a life, even though it’s distant, and it’s war," Springfield explained. He acknowledged that as a young man, he didn't fully understand the implications of firing the weapon, but the experience has remained a significant burden.