Corporal Robert Carlos Pahcheka, Comanche
US Marine Corps, Vietnam War
H Company, 2nd Battalion, 1st Marines
1st Marine Division (the Professionals)
Killed in Action on October 22, 1968.

CPL Pahcheka was from the Indiahoma area. According to his brother, after CPL Pahcheka received his draft notice he decided to be the "best" and enlisted in the US Marine Corps. He enlisted on February 9, 1968. CPL Pahcheka was a rifleman and began his "tour of duty" in Vietnam on August 30, 1968. CPLE Pahcheka was "In Country" only fifty-four days when he was killed by an exploding satchel charge in an area called Hill 10 or "Hand Grenade Hill" in Quang Nam Province. A fellow marine present during the firefight in which CPL Pahcheka died, said "We were part of a "killer" team on patrol in the immediate area of Hill 10 when 35-40 NVA soldiers popped out of numerous tunnel nests and attached their team. A sapper managed to get close enough to throw a satchel charge - the explosion killed CPL Pahcheka and another marine." The witness also said, "I drug CPL Pahcheka to the medavac thinking he only "shaken up." I found out later he died of shrapnel wounds. We repulsed the attack and killed most of the NVA soldiers. CPL Pahcheka "took out" many of the attackers before the explosion. CPL Pahcheka was an outstanding marine who was big in physical stature." The marines learned later that their position on Hill 10 sat atop of a NVA tunnel complex that housed about 2,000 NVA soldiers. CPL Pahcheka's name is on panel 40W, line 22 of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. He is buried at Post Oak Cemetery, Indianhoma, Oklahoma and will forever be 22 years old (DOB September 23, 1946).