Donald J Jenkins
Donald was born on the 18th of April 1948, in Quality, Kentucky, and he was drafted into the US Army in 1968, in Nashville, Tennessee. He went through basic training at Fort Campbell, and shortly after was deployed to the Republic of Vietnam. It was his actions on the 6th of January, 1969, with the 2nd Battalion, 39th Infantry Regiment, 9th Infantry Division, that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. S/Sgt. Jenkins (then Pfc.), Company A, distinguished himself while serving as a machine gunner on a reconnaissance mission. When his company came under heavy crossfire from an enemy complex, S/Sgt. Jenkins unhesitatingly maneuvered forward to a perilously exposed position and began placing suppressive fire on the enemy. When his own machine gun jammed, he immediately obtained a rifle and continued to fire into the enemy bunkers until his machine gun was made operative by his assistant. He exposed himself to extremely heavy fire when he repeatedly both ran and crawled across open terrain to obtain resupplies of ammunition until he had exhausted all that was available for his machine gun. Displaying tremendous presence of mind, he then armed himself with two antitank weapons and, by himself, maneuvered through the hostile fusillade to within 20 meters of an enemy bunker to destroy that position. After moving back to the friendly defensive perimeter long enough to secure yet another weapon, a grenade launcher, S/Sgt. Jenkins moved forward to a position providing no protection and resumed placing accurate fire on the enemy until his ammunition was again exhausted. During this time he was seriously wounded by shrapnel. Undaunted and displaying great courage, he moved forward 100 meters to aid a friendly element that was pinned down only a few meters from the enemy. This he did with complete disregard for his own wound and despite having been advised that several previous rescue attempts had failed at the cost of the life of one and wounding of others. Ignoring the continuing intense fire and his painful wounds, and hindered by darkness, he made three trips to the beleaguered unit, each time pulling a wounded comrade back to safety. S/Sgt. Jenkins' extraordinary valor, dedication, and indomitable spirit inspired his fellow soldiers to repulse the determined enemy attack and ultimately to defeat the larger force. S/Sgt. Jenkins' risk of his life reflect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the U.S. Army.
Don finished up his enlistment in the Army as a Staff Sergeant and he received the Medal of Honor on the 2nd of March 1971, from President Nixon in a ceremony at the White House. He returned home to Kentucky and went to work in the local coal mines, where he retired as a general superintendent in 1999. Donald J Jenkins, is 74 years old at the time of this recording, and he still lives in Kentucky.
