Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Vietnam Marine whose sacrifice earned the Medal

Nov 30 , 2025

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Vietnam Marine whose sacrifice earned the Medal of Honor

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. stood on the razor's edge between life and death, the sun bleeding through the dense Vietnamese canopy. Around him, chaos screamed—grenades hailing down like raining fire, men screaming, fighting to survive. Then the lethal arc of a live grenade hurtled toward his squad. Without hesitation, Jenkins threw himself over it, bearing the full horror of the blast.

He died shielding his brothers-in-arms.

Blood and Honor: The Making of Robert Jenkins

Born in Jacksonville, Florida, Robert Jenkins carried more than the weight of his Southern roots. A devout Christian and a man of quiet conviction, he lived by an unshakeable code—courage, loyalty, service above self. His faith wasn’t placards or pleasantries; it was fire in the soul, a light burning through dark days.

Jenkins enlisted in the Marine Corps, joining Company H, 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. The year was 1968, Vietnam war at its fever pitch. He was more than a rifleman. He was a brother sworn to protect his unit with every breath. Psalm 23 was his armor: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

The Firestorm at Hue

February 5, 1969. Near Hue City, on the mangled remnants of a war-torn village, Jenkins and his squad pressed forward under brutal enemy fire. The air was thick with smoke and blood. The enemy was close, firing from every shadow, every broken hut waiting to swallow men whole.

Suddenly, a grenade landed smack in the middle of their formation.

Without flashing thought, Jenkins dove—a wall of muscle and grit—and pinned the grenade beneath his chest. His body, a living shield, absorbed the shrapnel and blast that would have torn through his comrades like paper.

He was mortally wounded but alive long enough to know his squad was safe.

Valor Etched in Steel and Words

For this ultimate sacrifice, Jenkins was awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest recognition for battlefield heroism. His citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... By his swift and decisive actions, Sergeant Jenkins saved the lives of several members of his squad. His bravery reflected great credit upon himself and the United States Marine Corps.”

Commanders and fellow Marines have remembered him through the decades.

“He didn’t hesitate. He saved us all,” recalled Staff Sergeant Robert E. Howard*.

His body returned home to Jacksonville. But his spirit—the fire he lit—never left the battlefield.

Lessons from a Fallen Warrior

Jenkins’ story demands more than remembrance. It demands understanding what it truly means to sacrifice.

He stood where fear lives, and chose love.

In the crucible of combat, Jenkins embodied the Marine Corps’ warrior ethos. Darrell Hamilton, a Vietnam veteran historian, reminds us that Jenkins’ act was not rash but born of countless hours forged in training and faith.

This story calls veterans and civilians alike to reckon with the raw price of freedom—that some men pay with the last beat of their hearts to buy precious time for others.

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

Robert H. Jenkins Jr. did not ask for glory. He found it in the silence after the storm, in the brothers who lived because he died. His legacy is a fierce declaration: Courage is never comfortable. Sacrifice never easy. Redemption never final until the battle is won beyond this life.

Remember him. Honor him. Live like the price was paid.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Recipients (Vietnam War), Robert H. Jenkins Jr. 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Sergeant Robert H. Jenkins Jr.” 3. Michael J. Durant, Vietnam Medal of Honor Heroes 4. Robert E. Howard, interview in Vietnam Veterans Oral Histories, 1998