Rank: Sergeant
Unit: Headquarters & Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
MOS: 17K – Ground Surveillance Radar Crewman
Awards: Bronze Star Medal, Purple Heart Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal
Unit awards: Valorous Unit Award, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross with Palm device
Enlisted by: Selected Service
Date of birth: 1-Sep-1948
Hometown: Covington, Ohio
Marital status: Never Married
Campaign: Vietnam Conflict
Entered service: 26-Mar-1969
Start of tour: 25-Aug-1969
Incident date: 10-Aug-1970
Date of casualty: 6-Sep-1970
Age at death: 22
Cause of death: Hostile, died of wounds. Explosive Device. Other explosive device.
William Lester Wilhelm died as a result of wounds received while commander of a military vehicle when a mine detonated. He was admitted to a military medical facility and later expired. / William Lester Wilhelm was a tank commander on an Armored Cavalry Assault Vehicle (ACAV) on resupply mission when vehicle detonated a hostile mine. Admitted to 24th Evacuation Hospital, Long Binh, 10 Aug 1970 at 1030 hrs, placed on Very Serious Injured (VSI) list on 10 Aug 1970 at 1230 hrs. (Individual was eventually transferred to 249th General Hospital, Camp Zama, Japan, where he expired on 6 Sep 1970.)
Three Blackhorse troopers died as a result of this incident:
SP4 Neal Vincent Bainter
PVT Joseph Frank Marcantonio
SGT William Lester Wilhelm
Location of fatality: Bien Hoa, South Vietnam, XT 910 308
Place of interment: Highland Cemetery, Covington, Ohio, USA
View this soldier‘s Find a Grave page (opens in a new window)