MONTICELLO – The fate of a Springfield man charged with the murder of a Hammond man during an early-morning burglary in January 2021 will be announced Tuesday morning in the
Burke kept moving, systematically quieting the hostile fire until his weapon malfunctioned. He then grabbed a rifle and some hand grenades off someone nearby and kept fighting, taking out two more enemy soldiers.
Medal of Honor Monday: Marine Corps Pfc. Robert C. Burke
A Marine from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, cautiously approaches a damaged hut during Operation Allen Brook. The Viet Cong dominated the small villages on Go Noi Island in Vietnam.
MAY 17, 2021 | BY KATIE LANGE, DOD NEWS
Marine Corps Pfc. Robert C. Burke took charge in 1968 when his unit was pinned down by intense enemy fire in Vietnam. Burke didn’t make it out alive, but his actions earned him the Medal of Honor.
Burke was born Nov. 7, 1949, in Monticello, Illinois, and lived with his parents, four sisters and two brothers. As a teen, he worked after school helping his dad build fences for area farmers. His mother told reporters later that he had dreamed of being a Marine since he was a young boy.