PFC Robert C. Burke-USMC

464 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Usmc in the 19th century

PFC Robert Charles Burke on 7 November 1949 in Monticello, Illinois and enlisted in the Marine Corps from Chicago, Illinois. The Marine died on 17 May 1968 in the Southern Quang Nam Province, Republic of Vietnam (South). He received the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. PFC Burke was serving as a machine gunner with Company I, 3d Battalion, 27th Marines (3/27), 1st Marine Division (REIN), FMF. The citation, which was signed by then President Richard M. Nixon, reads as follows: “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.

Show More
Related

  • Byron De La Beckwith Essay

    1871 Words  | 4 Pages

    During World War II, Beckwith joined the Marines, where he received the Purple Heart for wounds in action in 1943. Considering a military career, he app...

    Read More

  • The Inspiring Actions of Audie Leon Murphy

    1735 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...d their machine gun so that the barrel would point at him. The barrel got snagged on a limb and shot offset from Staff Sergeant Murphy. Staff Sergeant Murphy lobbed a two hand grenades on their position. The grenades killed four and wounded three. This action earned him a silver star. Days later he took a SCR436 radio and about 46 meters towards where the Germans were while they kept directing firing at him. 200 yards from the Germans location, he relayed firing orders to the artillery on the SCR436 radio he had. He remained in position alone for more than an hour directing his men in what they needed to do to complete the mission. When Staff Sergeant Murphy and his men finally took the kill there was around 15 Germans killed and along with that there was 35 injured. Because of his actions it earned him another Bronze Oak Leaf Cluster for his silver star.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of the Vietnam War

    884 Words  | 2 Pages

    This event took place in Vietnam about1972, around the time Americans were withdrawing from the country due to the public demands. A Captain John W. Ripley who has been assigned to overlook and advise South Vietnamese troops did not foresee himself doing such a heroic act to stop further advancement from the North. Captain Riley before being an officer was an enlisted personnel, he went through various amount of rigorous training, furthermore he did cross training with the British Royal Marines, and did a year long tour in Vietnam with the Marines. [Captain Riley’s dedication of duty could not be put in words. His self-sacrifice and steadfast performance to stop the North Vietnamese Army were even greater at this time at Dong Ha. He received information about an advance movement from the NVA into southern parts of Vietnam. A key element of this strategic move was the bridge of Dong Ha.

    Read More

  • Ptsd In The Things They Carried

    800 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Kiowa was gone. He was under the mud and water, folded in with the war…” (O’Brien, 155). Many soldiers in war may lose an extremity or get bumps and bruises, but Kiowa did not make it out so lucky. Lieutenant Cross got commands to take the route he knew was much

    Read More

  • Billy Mitchell As A Father Of Air Force

    781 Words  | 2 Pages

    He stay in the US Army Signal Corps, he was helping in the Cuba and Philippines during the Philippine...

    Read More

  • Chesty Puller Essay

    974 Words  | 2 Pages

    Lieutenant General Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller was born on 26th June 1898, and died on 11th October 1971. He retired in 1955 as an officer of the U.S. Marine Corps and goes down in history as the only U.S. Marine to receive five Navy Crosses. He also fought the Haiti and Nicaragua guerrillas, the Korean War, and the World War II (Russell & Cohn, 2012).

    Read More

  • Saving Private Ryan by Steven Spielburg

    1182 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...rian thought, although if it was looked upon as Sgt. Miller did it the movie, the thought could also defend it. It could be argued that the number of men lost during battle was to save 10 or 20 times as many. In war, our armed forces also defend Deontology because it is a foundational duty and character is displayed through actions. The morality of our actions is based upon whether that action itself is right or wrong, rather than centered on the consequences of the actions. The movie carries the thought that American should lead morally standing, socially respectable lives to earn the freedom that our soldiers in battle have paid for with their lives. Hence the veteran at the gravesite in the beginning of the movie is Private James Ryan. He speaks to the grave of Captain John Miller saying he has fervently tried to “earn” his rescue by the captain and his men.

    Read More

  • DECISIVENESS, HOW THE CORPS IS CHANGING LEADERS

    707 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Corporal Dunham covered the grenade with his helmet and body, bearing the brunt of the explosion and shielding his Marines from the blast. In an ultimate and selfless act of bravery in which he was mortally wounded, he saved the lives of at least two fellow Marines.” This is an expert from CPL Jason Dunham’s Medal of Honor Citation awarded to him posthumously. The moving words written in this citation merely scratch the surface of CPL Dunham’s courageous actions were that day and how his decisiveness saved the lives of his squad and junior Marines. His acts were not only influential, but also motivational to the Marines underneath him. This is a moment in our history that has been spread throughout the Marine Corps as a prime example of quick decision-making amongst unit leaders. Sgt. Dakota Meyers is another supreme example ...

    Read More

  • What Are The Achievements Of Congressman Mckeon's Four Accomplishments

    358 Words  | 1 Pages

    a. Achievement # 1: [Applicant] was assigned as the squad team leader while attached to the U.S. Army's C Company, 4th/47th Battalion, 9th Infantry Division in Vietnam's Mekong Delta. While serving alongside the U.S. Navy's MRF they would perform constant Huey Helicopter assaults into the Delta's VC infested hamlets, rice paddies, swamps, and jungles to search and destroy communist forces.

    Read More

  • Victoria Cross Medal Recipients

    1216 Words  | 3 Pages

    On February 16, 1944, “Major Hoey's company formed a part of a force which was ordered to capture a position at all costs” (Veterans Affairs, "Charles Ferguson Hoey," 2014). The territory was well protected by machine gun and rifle fire. Major Hoey led his company to their objective. Along the way, Major Hoey was shot at least twice in the leg and head, but he still took a Bren gun from one of his men and fired from the hip. He pushed on very quickly and his team was falling behind. Hoey captured the enemy’s position first and killed all of the enemy soldiers residing in that location, until he was fatally wounded. Hoey received this award posthumously for his “outstanding gallantry and leadership, his total disregard of personal safety and his grim determination” (Veterans Affairs, "Charles Ferguson Hoey," 2014).

    Read More

  • Guy Gibson, The Glorious WWII Pilot

    1201 Words  | 3 Pages

    Gibson was known to be a terrific leader, and as any successful leader would miss his previous squad but all great things must come to an end, “Gibson’s time with No. 29 Squadron concluded in December and he received a promotion to squadron leader and a bar for his Distinguished Flying Cross. In early 1942, Gibson received orders to report to No. 51 Operation Training Unit to serve as ...

    Read More

  • An American Hero

    674 Words  | 2 Pages

    Hershel “Woody” Williams was a displayed his amazing courage by serving his country in the Marine Corps Reserves. He started his military career on May 26, 1943 when he enlisted in Charleston, West Virginia. Woody’s served in the military for a span of 17 years (WebCite Query Result.) His impeccable courage is best displayed in February 23, 1945 on a small island in the Pacific Ocean at the Battle of Iwo Jima where he was serving with the 21st Marines, 3rd Marine Division (Iwo Jima.) His commanding officer was trying to develop a plan to take out the Japanese pillboxes. The pillboxes were buried under several feet of volcanic sand, therefore they could withstand bombs being dropped on them. Tanks were useless in trying to get to the pillboxes because they could not get enough traction in the sand to get close enough to fire. So Hershel took matters into his own hands and strapped on a 70 pound flamethrower, only weighting 150 pounds himself, and began making his way to the pillboxes. With only four Marines covering him, and having to move forward in the upright position because the flamethrower would not allow him to crawl, Hershel made his way through the trenches and took out 7 pillboxes in 4 hours. He escaped from the battle unharmed, but two M...

    Read More

  • Military Suicides

    2681 Words  | 6 Pages

    The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration. Defense Casualty Analysis System (DCAS) Public Use File, 2006, 01/01/2006 - 12/31/2006. Retrieved October 2013, from http://research.archives.gov/description/4734834

    Read More

  • The Vietnam War

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    During the Vietnam War, the first platoon (approximately forty men) was lead by a young officer named William Calley. Young Calley was drafted into the US Army after high school, but it did not take long for him to adjust to being in the army, with a quick transition to the lifestyle of the military, he wanted to make it his career. In high school, Calley was a kind, likable and “regular” high school student, he seemed to be a normal teenager, having interest in things that other boys his age typically had. He was never observed acting in a cruel or brutal way. In Vietnam, Calley was under direct order of company commander, Captain Ernest Medina, whom he saw as a role model, he looked up to Medina. (Detzer 127).

    Read More

  • The Trauma of Killing

    2207 Words  | 5 Pages

    A soldier’s “greatest fear is not death but failure, and the shame that accompanies failure. More than anything else, warriors fear letting themselves down and letting their leaders and friends down at a moment when it matters most. They fear most not losing their lives, but their honor” (Nash, 2007, p. 25).

    Read More

More about PFC Robert C. Burke-USMC

Open Document