Medal of Honor recipient partners with local school

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – A local school has adopted a Medal of Honor recipient to partner with the school and engage children in learning about the country’s military.

Staff Sergeant Don Jenkins, an Army Veteran, is 1 of only 3 Medal of Honor recipients living in the state, and 1 of 71 living in the country.

The Medal of Honor is the highest and most prestigious personal military decoration that may be awarded to recognize U.S. military service members who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor.

Nearly 100 students of all grade ages attended the assembly today at Anchored Christian School.

Students were able to hear Jenkins story and after, were able to receive a signed biography of his accomplishments during the Vietnam war and thank him for his service.

Other military and ex-military members who introduced Jenkins said simply meeting a Metal of Honor recipient was a great honor.

Jenkins will continue to partner with the school and says he is honored to be coming back to visit the students throughout the year.

“It was an honor and they really went all out to do this for me,” said Jenkins.

According to the Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Jenkins received the award “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 2 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 1 and the wounding of others. Ignoring the continuing intense fire and his painful wounds, and hindered by darkness, he made 3 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.”

(Excerpt from http://www.cmohs.org/recipient-detail/3312/jenkins-don-j.php)