BURKE. ROBERT C.

Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, Company I, 3d Battalion, 27th Marines, 1st Marine Division (Rein), FMF

Place: Southern Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam

Date: 17 May 1968

Entered service at: Chicago, Illinois

Born: 7 November 1949, Monticello, Illinois

Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty for service as a machine gunner with Company I on Operation ALLEN BROOK.

Company I was approaching a dry river bed with a heavily wooded tree line that borders the hamlet of Lee Nam, when they suddenly came under intense mortar, rocket propelled grenades, automatic weapon and small arms fire from a large, well concealed enemy force which halted the company's advance and wounded several marines. Realizing that key points of resistance had to be eliminated to allow the units to advance and casualties to be evacuated, Pfc. Burke, without hesitation, seized his machine gun and launched a series of 1-man assaults against the fortified emplacements. As he aggressively maneuvered to the edge of the steep river bank, he delivered accurate suppressive fire upon several enemy bunkers, which enabled his comrades to advance and move the wounded marines to positions of relative safety. As he continued his combative actions, he located an opposing automatic weapons emplacement and poured intense fire into the position, killing 3 North Vietnamese soldiers as they attempted to flee. Pfc. Burke then fearlessly moved from one position to another, quelling the hostile fire until his weapon malfunctioned. Obtaining a casualty's rifle and hand grenades, he advanced further into the midst of the enemy fire in an assault against another pocket of resistance killing 2 more of the enemy. Observing that a fellow marine had cleared his malfunctioning machine gun he grasped his weapon and moved into a dangerously exposed area and saturated the hostile tree line until he fell mortally wounded. Pfc. Burke's gallant actions upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.

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--- General / Personal ---

Last name: BURKE

First name: ROBERT CHARLES

Home of Record (official): MONTICELLO

State (official): IL

Date of Birth: Monday, November 7, 1949

Sex: Male

Race: Caucasian

Marital Status: Single

--- Military ---

Branch: Marine Corps

Rank: PFC

Serial Number: 2359360

Component: Regular

Pay grade: E2

MOS (Military Occupational Specialty code): 3516

--- Action ---

Start of Tour: Monday, February 19, 1968

Date of Casualty: Friday, May 17, 1968

Age at time of loss: 18

Casualty type: (A1) Hostile, died

Reason: Gun, small arms fire (Ground casualty)

Country: South VietNam

Province: Quang Nam

The Wall: Panel 61E - Row 024

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