Word Celebrity Blog

Don J. Jenkins


Don J. Jenkins was born on April 18, 1948, in Quality, Kentucky. He joined the Army from Nashville, Tennessee.

On January 6, 1969, he was serving as a private first class in Company A, 2d Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division. During a firefight on that day, in Kien Phong Province, Republic of Vietnam.























After his unit had landed in Kien Phong province, Pfc. Don Jenkins was described as running to an "exposed area" and then shooting his way across the terrain, and picking up and firing and then discarding weapon after weapon.


















As he was running he opened fire with his M-60, on enemy soldiers gathering near log bunkers. When his machine gun jammed, Pfc. Jenkins grabbed a rifle and fired upon the enemy while a teammate attempted to repair the M-60.



















Pfc. Jenkins repeatedly charged through open terrain to grab ammunition from fallen soldiers until he could no longer find any ammunition. Then Jenkins picked up two anti-tank weapons from another fallen soldier. Despite incoming enemy fire, he closed within 20 yards of the enemy bunkers and destroyed two of  them.Then he picked up an M-79 grenade launcher and resumed his battle until that weapon was exhausted as well.


























A group of American soldiers wwere pinned down just a short way from the enemy Vietnamese troops.


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Previous rescue attempts had resulted in one death and many injuries to our troops, Ignoring serious shrapnel wounds in his stomach and legs, Pfc. Jenkins crawled forward 100 meters to the embattled position three times over the course of the night, each time bringing back a wounded comrade.
























He rescued not one but three wounded soldiers even though he himself had been wounded with shrapnel. Following the battle, Pfc. Don Jenkins was promoted to Staff Sergeant.


























A Few hours before he left for the drop zone, Pfc.Jenkins' commanding officer had threatened to bust him down to Private since the day before, Pfc. Jenkins had to be resuscitated due to drinking a bad bottle of wine.



















After his discharge, S/Sgt. Jenkins returned to the coal mines of Kentucky. He received notification that he was to be awarded the Medal in 1971.







Medal Of Honor
Rank:
Staff Sergeant

Organization:
U.S. Army

Company:
Company A, 2d Battalion

Division:
39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division

Born:
April 18, 1948,
Quality, Kentucky.

Entered Service At:
Nashville, Tennessee.

Place / Date:
Kien Phong Province,
Republic of Vietnam,
January 6, 1969


Staff Sergeant Jenkins official Medal of Honor citation reads:














Citation:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Jenkins (then Pfc.), Company A, distinguished himself while serving as a machine gunner on a reconnaissance mission. When his company came under heavy crossfire from an enemy complex, S/Sgt. Jenkins unhesitatingly maneuvered forward to a perilously exposed position and began placing suppressive fire on the enemy. When his own machine gun jammed, he immediately obtained a rifle and continued to fire into the enemy bunkers until his machine gun was made operative by his assistant. He exposed himself to extremely heavy fire when he repeatedly both ran and crawled across open terrain to obtain resupplies of ammunition until he had exhausted all that was available for his machine gun. Displaying tremendous presence of mind, he then armed himself with 2 antitank weapons and, by himself, maneuvered through the hostile fusillade to within 20 meters of an enemy bunker to destroy that position. After moving back to the friendly defensive perimeter long enough to secure yet another weapon, a grenade launcher, S/Sgt. Jenkins moved forward to a position providing no protection and resumed placing accurate fire on the enemy until his ammunition was again exhausted. During this time he was seriously wounded by shrapnel. Undaunted and displaying great courage, he moved forward 100 meters to aid a friendly element that was pinned down only a few meters from the enemy. This he did with complete disregard for his own wound and despite having been advised that several previous rescue attempts had failed at the cost of the life of 1 and the wounding of others. Ignoring the continuing intense fire and his painful wounds, and hindered by darkness, he made 3 trips to the beleaguered unit, each time pulling a wounded comrade back to safety.

S/Sgt. Jenkins' extraordinary valor, dedication, and indomitable spirit inspired his fellow soldiers to repulse the determined enemy attack and ultimately to defeat the larger force. S/Sgt. Jenkins risk of his life reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.



























Former Sergeant Don Jenkins, like so many other Medal of Honor recipients, spend a lot of time speaking and signing autographs for the troops both in the United States and abroad.



























Don Jenkins visits the 380th Air Expenditionary Wing.



















Medal of Honor recipient Don Jenkins signs the poster (advertising his visit) for the troops of the 380th Expenditionary Wing.






















At Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan, Congressional Medal of Honor recipient, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. (Ret.) Don J. Jenkins (Right), greets an Indiana National Guard Soldier assigned to the 38th Infantry Division’s Task Force Cyclone, 1st Lt. Richard Schwartz, Kokomo, Indiana, during a meet and greet gathering in the dining facility at Camp Phoenix, Afghanistan. Don Jenkins was joined by U.S. Army Lt. Col. (Ret.) Alfred V. Rascon, who also took time to meet, speak and sign autographs for the troops.





















When former Sergeant Don Jenkins was awarded his Medal Of Honor, women in the military did not engage in combat with the enemy. These female troops that he is visiting, could very well face such combat.


























Quality, Kentucky is a very small town in Butler County and is 20 miles south of Morgantown. It is from this town named Quality, that a brave hero and Qualty Soldier was born and lives.