After only twenty days of duty in Vietnam, the tour and life of William Choi came to an end.

No information has been found to explain the hyphenated surname of Choi-Rakofsky. Military service records list him as William David Choi, whereas the surname Rakofsky is the name he shared with his brothers, Jack and Glenn.

William David Choi was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on September 7, 1947. His mother's grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Yu, lived in Hawaii and his mother's parents, Mr. and Mrs. Welch, resided in Soquel, California. While he was quite young, his mother brought William, his two brothers and one sister to Watsonville, where she married Jack C. Tindle. William attended Mintie White and E.A. Hall elementary schools in Watsonville before entering Soquel High School. After his graduation from high school in 1965 and prior to 1967, William was married to Anita Winifred.

William Choi-Rakofsky entered the army in August 1967 and after completing basic and advance training, was assigned to the 60th Infantry Regiment of the 9th Infantry Division.

On February 8, 1968, Private Choi joined his unit serving in the Phong Dinh Province of Vietnam. At that time the 60th Infantry Regiment was committed to the fighting in the Mekong Delta during the Tet New Year Offensive. "Jitterbug tactics," in which airmobile units were deployed within a dozen meters of the enemy with split second timing, were being used to help deter the communist offensive. It may have been during such an operation that Private First Class William David Choi-Rakofsky was killed in action on February 26, 1968. His body was recovered and returned to Santa Cruz for burial within the Oakwood Memorial Park.

(VVMW; SCSn March 3, 1968 1:4; Global Security.Org, 2nd Battalion 60th Infantry Division "Scouts Out" http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/agency/army/2-60in.htm, [16 September 2008])