Excerpts from obituary published in San Diego Union-Tribune on 11/15/2017:
Marine Colonel Robert O. Tilley, a hero of the Vietnam War who later directed Camp Pendleton’s morale programs for the troops, will be remembered at a December memorial service. Tilley died on October 18 following a long illness. A special graveside commemoration with full military honors for the Colorado native is slated for Miramar National Cemetery. “God, country and Corps. Those words defined Bob,” said his wife. “He dedicated his life to making this world a better place.
In 1967, Tilley received the Silver Star, the nation’s third highest commendation for his valor in Vietnam. Commanding Company K, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, on May 12, 1967, then First Lieutenant Tilley led his men in a daring flanking movement against North Vietnamese troops besieging a neighboring unit, sparking heavy fighting through the night, according to his citation. Despite being seriously wounded by a machine gun bullet to the chest, early on the following day he conducted Company K’s attack on an enemy battalion, repeatedly exposing himself to mortar and rifle fire, to force the North Vietnamese to retreat. The Marines counted 106 enemy dead and captured a trove of abandoned weapons and ammunition.
After recovering from his wound, Tilley returned to Vietnam to command a Combined Unit Pacification Program company in 1971. He retired from the Corps in 1991, following a stint as the director of Camp Pendleton’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs. COL Tilley is survived by his wife of 61 years, three daughters, six grandchildren and a great grandson.
Submitted by CDR Roy A. Mosteller, USNR (Ret)
