William was born on the 8th of January, 1888, in Tallmadge Township, Michigan, and he enlisted in the US Navy. He was a Hospital Apprentice First Class (similar to a modern day Navy Corpsman) when he was deployed in support of the Mexican Campaign with a company of Bluejackets and his actions there would earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

On board the U.S.S. Florida, Zuiderveld showed extraordinary heroism in the line of his profession during the seizure of Vera Cruz, Mexico, 21 April 1914.

William had run down an alley under fire in order to render aid to Coxswain Schumaker and once he had stopped the bleeding, he carried Schumaker back down the alley and to the rear. William received the Medal of Honor on the 9th of August, 1914 and he remained in the Navy until 1938. He was recalled to active duty during World War 2 and retired at the end of the war at the rank of Lieutenant. William Zuiderveld died on the 5th of February, 1978 at the age of 90 and is buried with his wife in the Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California: Section A-I, Gave 9B.