’80s rock icon says he killed a man with a mortar bomb during the Vietnam War

Rock star Rick Springfield has revealed that when he was 19, he killed a man with a mortar bomb in South Vietnam.

Decades later, he still struggles with the consequences of his split-second decision.

Springfield, now 77, was a member of Australian pop-rock band MPD Limited in the early days of his career, and the group traveled to the country in 1968 to entertain soldiers.

They stayed there for about four months, at the height of the Vietnam War, which was fought from 1955 to 1975.

According to Springfield, the young men agreed to stay in the war zone because they “didn’t make a lot of money” and saw it as an opportunity to make some money, albeit in “crazy” ways.

However, things took a frightening turn when an attack occurred one night while he and his bandmates were sleeping in the bunkers.

Radio reports of movement nearby confirmed that “no friendly matches were being played in the area.”

During an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, the Jessie’s Girl singer recalled that he decided to throw mortars when asked if he wanted to. They are usually dropped into a metal tube, which ignites the charge and explodes once it hits the target.

“We met these guys and we got along really well and we stayed with them overnight and we all got into the bunkers, the perimeter bunkers, and I stayed in the radio room and we got attacked and I’m throwing mortars down the damn radio room chimney,” he said.

“It was weird,” he added, noting that “there’s no way to do anything about it now” and comparing it to a scene from a movie.

Springfield added: “This was John Wayne’s time, you know?”

“I mean, as a kid, I didn’t really know what I was doing.”

The next day, he found out he hit someone with a bomb, and the other person congratulated him, saying, “Hey, you got it.” You have one!

Springfield called the aftermath “the hardest,” continuing, “And it was… it still has a… hard place in me, you know?”

“And this is actually the thing that I brought with me, and I couldn’t find a place for it. And yet… it seems like years ago there was another guy, another place.’

Springfield still has a hard time accepting that he was “responsible for the end of a life,” no matter the circumstances.

“Even though it’s far away and there’s a war going on, I had nothing to do with it and really didn’t know what I was doing.”

Springfield celebrated his 77th birthday last month and during this time he has gone viral for his muscular physique as fans said he is “defying the laws of aging”.

The music icon continues to perform with high energy, which has been praised, as well as his enduring ‘charisma’.

Springfield previously detailed the healthy lifestyle habits that help him stay fit and strong in his 70s.

“I work out every day,” he told People magazine.

“I just got a coach and I’m training with him. Basically, I watch what I eat and try to stay active.”

After his teenage years, Rick was a member of the band Zoot from 1969 to 1971 and began his solo career with the single Speak to the Sky, which reached the top ten in the charts Down Under.

Moving to the US, he had a number one hit with the 1981 tune Jessie’s Girl, which went on to win a Grammy Award.

Over the years, Springfield has also had numerous acting roles, including episodes of General Hospital, Supernatural, Hot in Cleveland and American Horror Story.

MORE: After 45 years, Only Fools footage that was ‘never seen’ has been discovered

MORE: ‘Stand by Me’ Remains a One-of-a-Kind Stephen King Adaptation

MORE: GLOW Cast ‘Not Giving Up Hope To Come Back’ 6 Years After Netflix Shut Down