Rank: Specialist 4
Unit: G Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 11D – Armor Reconnaissance Specialist
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Badges: Combat Infantryman Badge
Unit awards: Valorous Unit Award, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Regular
Date of birth: 1-May-1946
Hometown: Aspen, Colorado
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 5-Jul-1967
Start of tour: 9-Dec-1967
Incident date: 19-Aug-1968
Date of casualty: 19-Aug-1968
Age at death: 22
Cause of death: Hostile, died. Artillery/Mortar/Rocket. Artillery, rocket, or mortar.
William Leonard Sandersen died from wounds received while gunner on military vehicle on convoy mission when hit by fragments from hostile anti-tank round.
Five Blackhorse troopers died in this incident:
SSG Gale Edward Deering
SSG Aldon Cecil Jones
PFC Edward Austin McKenzie
SP4 Salvador Joe Mendez
SP4 William Leonard Sandersen
Location of fatality: Binh Long, South Vietnam, XU 732 078*
Place of interment: Aspen Grove Cemetery, Aspen, Colorado, USA
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