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

Jan 05 , 2026

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

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. saw death twice before the grenade found him. The first time was in the chaos of fire, smoke, and blood. The second was the final moment—when his body became a human shield for his men. He chose to die so others could live.

Roots in Honor

Born June 3, 1948, in New York City, Jenkins grew up tough but grounded. Not the kind to wear his faith on his sleeve, but it was there—quiet, steady, unshakable. He carried it like armor beneath the uniform.

Serving in the Marine Corps was more than duty—it was a calling to protect his brothers, a covenant forged in grit and blood. “Greater love hath no man than this...” whispered in his mind, echoing Scripture even as bullets tore through the jungle.

The Battle That Defined Him

March 5, 1969—for Jenkins, it was a day carved into eternity. Serving as a lance corporal with Company I, 3rd Battalion, 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Division, Jenkin’s platoon hit heavy enemy fire near Da Nang, Vietnam. The jungle throbbed with gunfire—rifle bursts, shrieks, and the thud of artillery.

Amid the chaos, a grenade landed in their midst. Time slowed. Jenkins’ training kicked in, but so did something else—a raw instinct, a brother’s heart. Without hesitation, he threw himself onto the grenade.

The blast crushed legs and arm. Blood spattered the leaves under him. Yet, in those brief seconds of agony, he saved the lives of fellow Marines crowded around.

He died from wounds sustained in that act but left behind more than bravery—he left a legacy braided with sacrifice and love beyond measure.

Medal of Honor

Signed by President Nixon on February 18, 1970, Jenkins posthumously received the Medal of Honor. The citation tells it bluntly—an unflinching testament to courage under fire:

“Lance Corporal Jenkins, confronted with a deadly grenade explosion, without hesitation and with complete disregard for his own safety, threw himself upon the grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body and saving the lives of the other Marines in the vicinity.”

Commanders and fellow Marines agreed. Captain Dennis W. Murphy called him “a man who lived the warrior’s creed, who gave the ultimate price for his comrades.”

His Enduring Legacy

Jenkins was just 20 when he died. Twenty years old—not yet a man by some measures, but in sacrifice, he was a giant.

No story of valor is complete without scars. Jenkins’ scars are writ large in the memory of those who wear the uniform. His sacrifice is the blueprint for what honor demands—the willingness to lay down one's life in trust and love for another.

Scripture offers no false comfort here, only truth:

“Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” (Psalm 116:15)

His story teaches that courage is not the absence of fear. It is fighting through it, for something greater than oneself. Jenkins reminds us what warriors live and die for—brotherhood, sacrifice, and redemption.

Death on the battlefield is not a statistic. It’s a profound silence left on the hearts of those who remain. Robert H. Jenkins Jr.—Marine, brother, shield—still stands tall in the ashes, demanding we never forget. For every bullet he faced, every second bled away, he chose love. And that is why we still speak his name.