Rick Springfield recalls killing a man in Vietnam while he was there performing for troops
NBC News • • entertainment
Key Points:
- Rocker Rick Springfield, known for his hit "Jessie's Girl," revealed on the "Joe Rogan Experience" that as a 17-year-old performing for U.S. troops in Vietnam, he killed a Viet Cong during an attack, an event that haunts him to this day.
- Springfield described the chaotic moment at a U.S. Navy encampment near Da Nang, where he was throwing mortars in self-defense and unintentionally caused a fatality.
- He expressed ongoing guilt and difficulty coming to terms with being responsible for ending a life, despite the war context and his young age at the time.
- Springfield also recalled the widespread confusion and disillusionment among American soldiers about the purpose of their presence in Vietnam.
- The incident was previously detailed in Springfield's 2010 memoir, "Late, Late at Night," highlighting the lasting emotional impact of his wartime experience.
