thedrifter
03-04-06, 08:44 AM
Vietnam Hero: 36 years later, memory lives on in hearts of family, friends
By Randy Lefko
Palatka Daily News
INTERLACHEN -- It was Feb. 5, 1969, and Operation Dewey Canyon near the North and South Vietnamese border was two weeks old. American forces were holding a hilltop in the jungles just inside the South Vietnamese border in a vicious fire battle with North Vietnamese troops.
On March 3, a platoon of 12 U.S. Marines from the Third Reconnaissance Battalion, Third Marine Division, was inserted into the battle after the North Vietnamese continued to barrage the American troops.
Two days later, Robert Jenkins Jr., a 20-year-old Interlachen Marine, and Fred Ostrom, a 19-year-old New York Marine, were side by side in a muddy hole with their machine guns blasting away with 10 other Marines trying to stave off the offensive.
“Robert was a machine gunner and I was his assistant pushing the ammunition into the weapon,” said Ostrom, who was wounded by a grenade earlier, losing part of his right arm and hand.
“The enemy threw a gas grenade into the hole as we were getting sliced by bullets left and right,” said Ostrom. “I ran to get my gas mask when they threw a hand grenade into the hole. Robert saw it, ran toward me, pushed me out of the way and jumped on the grenade. He absorbed the full blast. I will never forget Robert for that.”
That was 3 a.m. on March 5, 1969.
Jenkins was killed instantly, said Ostrom, who continued the fight until a platoon of Huey helicopters came in about 7:30 a.m. and cleared the area of enemy fire.
“I got hit with another grenade two or three minutes later and broke my arm in four places,” said Ostrom. “When the choppers came in, the medics lifted Robert and took him to the helicopter. Marines never leave a Marine.”
Later in March of 1969, Jenkins was honored with the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart and has been honored with the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Jenkins’ father, Robert Sr., 83, and mother, Willie Mae, 80, have lived in Interlachen since 1947 and still remember their son every March 5.
“I kind of mill around the house that day and look around hoping to see him walking out there,” said Jenki Sr. “Thirty six years and his memory is still here. His momma doesn’t talk about it much. It pains her to talk about it. I wish he was still around.”
Jenkins Sr had been a soldier during World War II, but was only in the Army eight years before being asked to leave for medical reasons.
“They told me I had medical problems before I went in and it wasn’t because of my service,” said Jenkins. “It’s garbage.”
Jenkins said Robert wanted to join up and get his 20 years after hearing what had happened to him.
“Robert went right down and joined up,” he said. “He said, ‘Papa, if you went in, I’m going in.’”
On a spring day in 1969, Jenkins can’t recall exactly when, he was sitting at a pond fishing in the west side of Interlachen.
“I saw this car pull up and a Marine captain got out and walked toward me,” he said. “I knew. It hit me real bad when he told me my boy had been killed in the war. I just went to pieces. After all this time, I still don’t know exactly how he died.”
Not long after the news had settled of Robert, his younger brother, James, joined the Army.
“I took him down to Palatka and we signed him up,” said Jenkins. “They told me not to worry about James because he wouldn’t see any front line action because of Robert being killed.”
James served his 20 years and retired, but has been absent from the family for about three years.
“All I know is he is in Gainesville somewhere,” said Jenkins. “He don’t come around here no more. Maybe because of Robert, it’s too tough.”
In 1977, the Putnam County School District honored Jenkins by naming the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Middle School in Palatka. Ostrom and fellow Marines fund the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial Award, which is awarded to students who exhibit good citizenship, hard work and an unselfish attitude.
In Interlachen, the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial Park stretches along Atlantic Avenue just a few yards from the Jenkins’ house.
“I come out here time to time and just drive up and down the road,” said Jenkins. “The town of Interlachen keeps it clean.”
Ostrom said he has been lobbying for a Navy ship, a guided missile destroyer, to be named in honor of Jenkins.
“I don’t know what else I can do to thank him,” said Ostrom, now 56. “I have been fortunate enough, because of Robert, to enjoy my family and my grandchildren all because of him. I will never forget what he did for me. My son Sean has a 2 year old named Brock Robert Ostrom that was named for Robert.”
rlefko@palatkadailynews.com
Ellie
By Randy Lefko
Palatka Daily News
INTERLACHEN -- It was Feb. 5, 1969, and Operation Dewey Canyon near the North and South Vietnamese border was two weeks old. American forces were holding a hilltop in the jungles just inside the South Vietnamese border in a vicious fire battle with North Vietnamese troops.
On March 3, a platoon of 12 U.S. Marines from the Third Reconnaissance Battalion, Third Marine Division, was inserted into the battle after the North Vietnamese continued to barrage the American troops.
Two days later, Robert Jenkins Jr., a 20-year-old Interlachen Marine, and Fred Ostrom, a 19-year-old New York Marine, were side by side in a muddy hole with their machine guns blasting away with 10 other Marines trying to stave off the offensive.
“Robert was a machine gunner and I was his assistant pushing the ammunition into the weapon,” said Ostrom, who was wounded by a grenade earlier, losing part of his right arm and hand.
“The enemy threw a gas grenade into the hole as we were getting sliced by bullets left and right,” said Ostrom. “I ran to get my gas mask when they threw a hand grenade into the hole. Robert saw it, ran toward me, pushed me out of the way and jumped on the grenade. He absorbed the full blast. I will never forget Robert for that.”
That was 3 a.m. on March 5, 1969.
Jenkins was killed instantly, said Ostrom, who continued the fight until a platoon of Huey helicopters came in about 7:30 a.m. and cleared the area of enemy fire.
“I got hit with another grenade two or three minutes later and broke my arm in four places,” said Ostrom. “When the choppers came in, the medics lifted Robert and took him to the helicopter. Marines never leave a Marine.”
Later in March of 1969, Jenkins was honored with the U.S. Congressional Medal of Honor and the Purple Heart and has been honored with the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Service Medal with two bronze stars and the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal.
Jenkins’ father, Robert Sr., 83, and mother, Willie Mae, 80, have lived in Interlachen since 1947 and still remember their son every March 5.
“I kind of mill around the house that day and look around hoping to see him walking out there,” said Jenki Sr. “Thirty six years and his memory is still here. His momma doesn’t talk about it much. It pains her to talk about it. I wish he was still around.”
Jenkins Sr had been a soldier during World War II, but was only in the Army eight years before being asked to leave for medical reasons.
“They told me I had medical problems before I went in and it wasn’t because of my service,” said Jenkins. “It’s garbage.”
Jenkins said Robert wanted to join up and get his 20 years after hearing what had happened to him.
“Robert went right down and joined up,” he said. “He said, ‘Papa, if you went in, I’m going in.’”
On a spring day in 1969, Jenkins can’t recall exactly when, he was sitting at a pond fishing in the west side of Interlachen.
“I saw this car pull up and a Marine captain got out and walked toward me,” he said. “I knew. It hit me real bad when he told me my boy had been killed in the war. I just went to pieces. After all this time, I still don’t know exactly how he died.”
Not long after the news had settled of Robert, his younger brother, James, joined the Army.
“I took him down to Palatka and we signed him up,” said Jenkins. “They told me not to worry about James because he wouldn’t see any front line action because of Robert being killed.”
James served his 20 years and retired, but has been absent from the family for about three years.
“All I know is he is in Gainesville somewhere,” said Jenkins. “He don’t come around here no more. Maybe because of Robert, it’s too tough.”
In 1977, the Putnam County School District honored Jenkins by naming the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Middle School in Palatka. Ostrom and fellow Marines fund the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial Award, which is awarded to students who exhibit good citizenship, hard work and an unselfish attitude.
In Interlachen, the Robert H. Jenkins Jr. Memorial Park stretches along Atlantic Avenue just a few yards from the Jenkins’ house.
“I come out here time to time and just drive up and down the road,” said Jenkins. “The town of Interlachen keeps it clean.”
Ostrom said he has been lobbying for a Navy ship, a guided missile destroyer, to be named in honor of Jenkins.
“I don’t know what else I can do to thank him,” said Ostrom, now 56. “I have been fortunate enough, because of Robert, to enjoy my family and my grandchildren all because of him. I will never forget what he did for me. My son Sean has a 2 year old named Brock Robert Ostrom that was named for Robert.”
rlefko@palatkadailynews.com
Ellie