Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Medal of Honor Marine Who Shielded Comrades

Dec 18 , 2025

Robert H. Jenkins Jr., Medal of Honor Marine Who Shielded Comrades

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. stood in the jungle’s choking heat, a fragile line frayed by constant enemy fire. Then, the grenade plummeted among the men—a wicked sphere of death. Without a second thought, Jenkins threw himself down, smothering the blast with his own body. Blood spilled and breath faltered, but his sacrifice saved five lives that day.

Beginnings: A Son of Dedication and Faith

Born December 3, 1948, in Washington, D.C., Robert Jenkins grew up in a world striving to make sense of war and peace. His family, deeply rooted in church and community, instilled in him a code wrought with honor, humility, and faith. "Better to stand for something than fall for anything," his mother used to say.

Jenkins enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1967, answering a call that many feared but few embraced. He carried with him more than steel and resolve—he carried the quiet conviction that his actions should point to something greater. Psalm 23 echoed in his soul as much as the weapons in his pack.

The Battle That Defined Him

March 5, 1969. Quang Nam Province, South Vietnam—dense jungle, rain-slicked and unforgiving.

Jenkins was with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines on a search-and-destroy patrol. The patrol came under sudden, deadly fire from North Vietnamese forces entrenched in the thick undergrowth. The firefight closed fast, bullets spraying, grenades landing in deadly arcs.

Explosions shook the earth. In the chaos, a hand-thrown grenade landed near Jenkins and his fellow Marines. Without hesitation, Jenkins hurled himself on that grenade, pulling comrades under his shield.

His body took the brunt of the blast. He sustained fatal wounds, but those around him escaped almost unharmed.

Recognition Etched in Valor

Jenkins’ death was not in vain. For his selfless valor, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration for valor.

The citation reads:

"For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... Private First Class Jenkins by his indomitable courage, inspiring leadership and selfless devotion to duty, saved the lives of several comrades at the cost of his own life."

His battalion’s commander described him as “the embodiment of Marine valor and sacrifice.”

Legacy Written in Blood and Light

Robert Jenkins’ story is etched in the annals of Marine Corps history as a testament to ultimate sacrifice—the kind that shatters fear and forges brotherhood in the crucible of war.

His legacy reverberates, teaching that courage is not absence of fear but choice—the choice to protect others even at mortal cost.

His name adorns the Jenkins Hall at Camp Lejeune and the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial near Washington, D.C. Each memorial stands as a silent sermon on sacrifice and love stronger than death.

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

Jenkins' sacrifice revives this ancient truth, bleeding it anew into the modern age.

To honor him is more than words. It is to remember—the weight of a brother’s shield pressed over a grenade, a light snuffed to preserve others. His story demands that we carry forward not just history, but hope.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division + “Medal of Honor Recipients Vietnam War: Robert H. Jenkins Jr.” 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society + Official Citation 3. "Robert H. Jenkins Jr.: Courage Under Fire," Marine Corps Gazette (1970)