Jenkins arrived in Vietnam to enter combat with the 3rd Marine Division's 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion on July 17, 1968. On March 5, 1969, he was part of a 12-man recon team assigned to Fire Support Base Argonne near the Vietnam DMZ. The base came under attack, and when an enemy soldier threw a hand grenade into the fighting position Jenkins occupied with a fellow Marine, he made a singularly heroic decision that saw him posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
From Medal of Honor Citations for the Vietnam War (A-L):
*JENKINS, ROBERT H., JR.
Rank and organization: Private First Class, U.S. Marine Corps, 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, 3d Marine Division (Rein), FMF. Place and date: Fire Support Base Argonne, Republic of Vietnam, 5 March 1969. Entered service at: Jacksonville, Fla. Born: 1 June 1948, Interlachen, Fla. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a machine gunner with Company C, 3d Reconnaissance Battalion, in connection with operations against enemy forces. Early in the morning Pfc. Jenkins' 12-man reconnaissance team was occupying a defensive position at Fire Support Base Argonne south of the Demilitarized Zone. Suddenly, the marines were assaulted by a North Vietnamese Army platoon employing mortars, automatic weapons, and hand grenades. Reacting instantly, Pfc. Jenkins and another marine quickly moved into a 2-man fighting emplacement, and as they boldly delivered accurate machine gun fire against the enemy, a North Vietnamese soldier threw a hand grenade into the friendly emplacement. Fully realizing the inevitable results of his actions, Pfc. Jenkins quickly seized his comrade, and pushing the man to the ground, he leaped on top of the marine to shield him from the explosion. Absorbing the full impact of the detonation, Pfc. Jenkins was seriously injured and subsequently succumbed to his wounds. His courage, inspiring valor and selfless devotion to duty saved a fellow marine from serious injury or possible death and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the U.S. Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.
PFC Jenkins today rests in peace at the Sister Spring Baptist Cemetery in Interlachen. His name appears on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial on Panel 30W, Line 46 and on the 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion's Vietnam Memorial at the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Memorial Park, also in Florida.
The 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion is still a component of today's 3rd Marine Division. They are home based at a forward-deployed location on Okinawa, Japan.
I first noticed the grave while on a fun run nearby, and noticed this grave that stood out from the others and went to have a look. I was surprised that a medal of honor recipient would not have a bigger/better marker, and I was intrigued. So I did the research and asked at a local veterans post and they said 'Oh, that colored boy who got himself killed in Vietnam'. Not the comment I was expecting. Digging further I was able to contact the man whose life he saved, who worked on Wall Street in NYC. Last year I hoped to travel to PFC Jenkins final resting place and place a wreath during the wreaths across America thing, but alas family issues prevented me. I shall attempt again this year. Conrad Matt, CVMA 20-2
ReplyDeletePFC Jenkins grave marker is clearly a VA-supplied one; they are available free of charge to the families of qualified deceased veterans.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I prefer the minimalist markers. Helps to remember the man, not the stone :)