Medal of Honor Marine Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Threw Himself on Grenade

Dec 05 , 2025

Medal of Honor Marine Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Threw Himself on Grenade

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. felt the grenade’s explosion before he saw its deadly shrapnel. The world shuttered—fire ripped through flesh and bone. But he wasn’t done. With one last breath, he threw himself on that grenade. Shielded his brothers in arms. Killed instantly. Saved lives. The purest act of sacrifice—warrior’s redemption sealed in blood.

Roots in Valor and Faith

Born 1948 in Newberry, South Carolina, Robert H. Jenkins Jr. was raised in a humble, tight-knit family. The values of duty, integrity, and faith were their bedrock. His childhood wasn’t gilded—work and grit carved his character. He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967, answering a call larger than himself.

Jenkins was a Marine imbued with quiet strength and conviction. His faith wasn’t flashy, but it was steadfast. He lived by a code, one shaped by scripture and battlefield necessity alike. The words of Romans 12:1-2 rang true to him—offering his body as a living sacrifice, not conformed to this world, but transformed by renewal of mind.

To those who knew him, Jenkins was a warrior who believed in protecting not just his comrades, but his soul’s integrity. His discipline, humility, and resolve would burn as fiercely in combat as in moments of prayer.

The Battle That Defined Him

April 5, 1969: Que Son Valley, Republic of Vietnam. Jenkins was serving as a rifleman with Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. The unit was engaged in a brutal firefight—machete jungle thick, enemy all around. The Viet Cong were relentless, their grenades raining like death from the shadows.

During the chaos, an enemy grenade landed in their midst—too close to run, too close to throw back. Jenkins had mere seconds to act. Witnesses say he, without hesitation, threw himself atop the grenade. His body absorbed the blast.

Bruised, broken, but alive initially, Jenkins was mortally wounded. His act saved the lives of several Marines nearby. That grenade’s deadly shrapnel found him instead of them.

The other Marines evacuated him quickly, but the wounds were fatal. Jenkins died before dawn the next day. His courage etched into the hills of Vietnam and the hearts of those he saved.

Recognition Etched in Honor

Posthumous Medal of Honor awarded July 16, 1970, recognized Jenkins’ conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. His citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a rifleman with Company A... Corporal Jenkins unhesitatingly threw himself on an enemy grenade... absorbing the major portion of the blast... He exhibited great courage, fortitude, and self-sacrifice.”¹

Commanders and fellow Marines recalled his humility in valor. Captain James E. Burke said:

“Jenkins’ actions saved many lives that day. His instinct wasn’t just bravery—it was brotherhood.”²

His name joined the pantheon of Marine Corps heroes, a symbol of ultimate sacrifice and solemn duty.

Legacy Carved Into The Warrior Spirit

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. stands as an unyielding testament to sacrifice that transcends time and politics. He represents the price paid silently and quickly by men and women who go forward so others may live. His story is whispered in the solemn marches of memorial ceremonies, in the silent prayers of veterans with scars no one sees.

To live by Jenkins’ example is to understand that heroism is not about glory. It is about choosing others—above self—in the darkest second when death is certain. It is about faith made flesh in the roar of gunfire and the thunder of explosions.

We carry his courage like a flame through the night. His death was not just an end, but a guarding of life itself. Redemption for those who know war’s bitter cost—the giving of one’s life so others might see another dawn.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

This is the eternal creed Robert Jenkins upheld—the warrior who became a shield bearing God’s promise in the valley of death.

Sources

1. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor Citation: Robert H. Jenkins Jr., United States Marine Corps 2. Official Marine Corps historical archives, eyewitness accounts of Company A, 1/9 Marines, Vietnam 1969