Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Medal of Honor Marine Who Fell on Grenade

Nov 18 , 2025

Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Medal of Honor Marine Who Fell on Grenade

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. didn’t have a choice when the grenade landed. The steel ball hissed through the humid Vietnamese jungle air, seconds from tearing his men apart. Jenkins took the blast himself, his body collapsing on the mud and blood beneath him. There, in that searing instant, a warrior carved his name into history—not with a sword but with flesh and unyielding spirit.

From Humble Roots to Hardened Resolve

Born in 1948, Jenkins grew up in Washington, D.C., where streets whispered a different kind of war—one of survival, pride, and grit. He answered the nation’s call like many young men of his era, joining the Marines in 1967. The Corps forged his character: discipline welded with fierce loyalty.

Faith was his cornerstone. Letters home spoke quietly of Psalms, prayer, and a hope beyond bullets and bombs. "The Lord is my refuge," he reportedly held close as chaos swallowed friends and foes alike. His actions that day would echo that belief: sacrifice without hesitation, a Christlike shield in flesh and blood.

The Battle That Defined Him

March 5, 1969. Quang Nam Province. Jenkins was attached to Company A, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines. The enemy launched a sudden attack, raining mortar and machine-gun fire like judgment from above. The Marines took cover, returning fire, but an enemy grenade tossed into their midst risked slaughter.

Witnesses would later tell how Jenkins yelled a warning, then threw himself over the explosive device—his body the barrier between death and survival for five Marines nearby. The blast shattered bones, tore flesh beyond recognition. Jenkins bore it all.

A battlefield medic recalled, “He saved us all. There wasn’t a second thought.” Jenkins died minutes later. His courage—a brutal, final testament—spoke louder than any radio call.

Medal of Honor: The Nation’s Highest Honor

On March 18, 1970, Robert H. Jenkins Jr. posthumously received the Medal of Honor—the first African American Marine to earn it in Vietnam. The citation credits his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” His heroism risked nothing less than a generation’s worth of Marines.

Marine Corps Commandant General Leonard F. Chapman thanked Jenkins’ family: “Your son’s bravery...is a shining example to every leatherneck.”^1

Soldiers spoke of Jenkins with reverence; one comrade said, “He saved my life; every day since, I live because of him. That man is a brother forever.”

Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Jenkins’ sacrifice runs deeper than medals. It’s stitched into the fabric of the Marine Corps, a standard of selflessness others strive to emulate. His story confronts us with the gravity of war’s cost and the power of unwavering faith in service to others.

Romans 12:1—“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice.” This was Jenkins in action: living sacrifice, eternal witness.

His grave at Quantico National Cemetery is a pilgrimage site for those who understand. Veterans find strength in his example; civilians catch a glimpse of the soul behind the uniform. Jenkins reminds us all that courage is not absence of fear, but choice—every second, every heartbeat.

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. gave his life so others might live. His scars belong to all who wear dog tags and clutch memories of battle. His legacy charges us to carry forward the torch—of honor, sacrifice, and redemption.

“Greater love hath no man than this.” To Jenkins, we owe nothing less than remembering.

Sources

1. USMC Archives + Medal of Honor Citation: Robert H. Jenkins Jr. 2. "Marine Corps Gazette" (1970 Issue): Commandant’s Commendation 3. Quang Nam Province operational reports, March 1969 4. Veterans’ testimonies compiled by the Congressional Medal of Honor Society