Charles Jenkins Update
In July of last year, we mistakenly posted that the National Personnel Records Center sent us a “no service” letter on Charles Jenkins. We had filed twice for his records, because we thought that he did have service, but the NPRC told us twice that he didn’t. Well, the third time’s the charm. He did have service in Vietnam for a year (Sept. 1965 – Sept 1966) with the 2/503 Infantry and the 173rd Airborne Brigade, he did earn the jump wings and the Combat Infantry Badge that he’s wearing in photos. He also earned a Purple Heart and an Army Commendation Medal with a Valor device. But, he was not a POW for the “3 years, 9 months and 27 days” that he claimed in the newspaper article that brought him to our attention in the first place.
We apologize to Mr Jenkins for mistakenly claiming he wasn’t a veteran, but we don’t regret calling him out since he wasn’t a POW – and that’s what made us look at him in the first place. We wonder why he thought that he needed to add that lie to his otherwise admirable resume. I edited the original post to reflect this new information.
Category: Phony soldiers, Valor Vultures
And flush!
Why do they do it?
(sigh) Another individual with a damned admirable record in combat who later made false claims about his career in a play for sympathy, or to be some kind of “great war hero”. In doing that, he p!ssed all over his own honorable service.
BuT wE’vE sEeN iT aLl ToO mAnY tImEs BeFoRe.
Sad. Just freaking sad.
I remember that post, I couldn’t make heads or tails out of what was being said.
So it turns out the man had some service, perfectly honorable service from the looks of things.
Thank you Jonn for following through and stepping up to make a correction.
I personally can think of nothing more despicable than claiming to be a POW. I hope Mr. Jenkins takes this opportunity to make his own correction.
Semper Fi
Fukk his couch
Damn, the Man was enough of a real bad-ass,, Got a purple heart, CIB and a Valor award that could have easily been a Bronze Star for running through hostile fire to bring MG ammo to his Platoon.
I don’t know what demons caused him to think he needed to add on to what he did by saying he was a POW as well. It’s heartbreaking to see shit like this.
Claiming that you were a POW in SE Asia is not a clever thing to do, nor is saying you did something or were something that you were not.
Jenkins should have known better and probably did, but went ahead with this bit of stomping on himself. When people like Mr. Jenkins spit on their own records by doing that, it degrades their real service.
A really stellar career, and now he’ll be known simply as a poser. Why do they live that lie, fearing the next phone call or knock on the door from a member of the media who questions their story? Why live like that? Jeez, man, you had a great career as it was and now it’s hosed.
Why live with a lie that is fairly easy to discredit? (POW status) Really? I almost want to grab some of these posers and shake them back into the real world, the world that includes not embellishing a fine career. Damn …
Shitting on a perfectly honorable service record. Way to go Charlie.
He could have said to that reporter “I fought and bled in Vietnam to give people the right to fly whatever flag they want”. It still would have been a pretty dramatic statement, and it would have been all true. And the response to that would have been “Thank you, Specialist Jenkins, for your service.” But no, that wasn’t enough…
At least he doesn’t appear to be the asshole that SoMeoNe eLSe wE kNOw is.
Falsely claiming to have been a POW is about as warped as anything anyone can do. For a vet to do so is despicable.
There are plenty of places you can go for help with whatever demons caused you to do this, Charlie. All you have to do is ask, Charlie, and even many of us here would step up.
Meanwhile, just stop lying. Short term, it really is that simple. Long term may take some work, but you can do it.
Still a redneck scumbag.
Claiming POW status is the lowest form of life.
I remember all of his kids rolling in and defending him for his POW claim…fuck him and his kids for defending that bullshit.
There’s a place in Hell for him for making up that crap… he’s probably never experienced one hundredth of what a POW went through.
Fuck him and the horse he rode in on…
Nay, don’t get all hot and bothered by his kids. They only know what he told them.
So I’m sorry we got bad info on the first FOIA request. But I never would requested one in the first place if he hadn’t made the POW claim. As Mr Bill stated above, if he wanted to give some gravitas to his position on waving the confederate flag, a Purple Heart and CIB from Vietman is more than enough. Also, I sent a Facebook message to him on July 9th asking for clarification on the POW claim and asked Jonn to hold off on putting him on TAH until we got a response. All we got was crickets. Did folks on here pile on too hard with some of their comments? Perhaps. But if he hadn’t made the bogus POW claim, his threads on TAH would not even exist.
possibly a cause for the problem with getting a correct FOIA reply, someone with the same name charles robert jenkins, us army infantry, deserted to north korea in 1965, and wound up there till 2004, not the same guy of course
A/2/503 … 3rd Herd….CIB … PH … and he had to lie about being a POW????????
I was in A/2/503 in the early 1980s after it lost its jump status and became air assault; our CO had been an EM in the same company in RVN; the Battalion’s CIB-wearing chaplain had also been in the 2/503rd. All who had a Sky Soldier combat patch were proud of it.
AT LEAST Jenkins did not claim participation in the 503rd’s 1967 combat jump.
http://www.173rdairborne.com/manifest.htm
One of the interesting stories going around in the Spring of ’71 was that the Herd had been in advanced planning stages for a second parachute assault in Binh Dinh Province in late ’70 or early ’71. The apparent rationale for the operation was that since the brigade would be standing down and returning to CONUS, it would have been an appropriate in-your-face farewell gesture to the NVA. Unfortunately, the ROE in place at the time meant the drop needed South Vietnamese approval which caused it to be cancelled at the last minute.
The story could have been a crock, but had enough elements to be at least strongly plausible. What was true was that the existing intel was remarkably detailed, and given a green light, the 173rd could have kicked some serious butt.
Personally, I have mixed thoughts about Jenkins because it’s still unclear whether the POW thing was a momentary lapse while caught up in a flag rally, or something that took place over a period of years.
That’s what bothers me most about Jenkins and SoMe OtHeRs LiKe HiM, PG.
They served honorably and well in combat, and received decorations for valor. Their true records are ones of which anyone should be incredibly proud. But yet they still feel they must claim stuff that they never did, apparently in an attempt to be some kind of “great war hero”.
That’s sad. Just freaking sad.
Perry Gaskill, that’s exactly what it was, a momentary lapse. That was the first time in my 43 years of life that I had heard him say that.
Nice T Shirt saying “Support Your Local Outlaws” Pretty appropriate when you think of Stolen Valor. His B. S. destroys what respect he did earn.
Been there done that has the T-shirt then promptly pisses on T-shirt dumps gasoline on it and burn it up into smoke.
you know, this is getting disheartening. The man was Airborne and in Country plus earned a Purple Heart when others were duck and covering on the way to Canada. Why add something else?
What is so honorable about claiming you were captured by the enemy? You’d think that would be embarrassing not something to brag about.
Gets you the victim card. Beaucoup popular these days.
Shaking my head.
WHY? Just can`t wrap my head around this shit’
I would like to offer an apology on behalf of my father. He was not a POW and I, nor any of my siblings defended that. We only defended his service in general. I’ve watched my father suffer from PTSD all of my life (before it had a name). In fact, it ruined our lives. I’ll spare you the details. According to my mother, he went to Vietnam as a good man, even having taught Sunday School and playing guitar in the church. He came back from Vietnam an abusive alcoholic who didn’t know his place in this world anymore. After 30 years, he eventually found AA and was able to recover from drug and alcohol abuse and depression. As a Registered Nurse, I have watched him continue to struggle with the PTSD and I try to support him as best I know how. I think on the particular day that he made those comments, he was caught up in the moment and overly passionate about what he was doing. I personally have never heard my father claim to be a POW until that day. Again, I apologize on his behalf. He gives so much of himself to help others, especially other alcoholics and veterans. I am very proud of where he’s come from. I was 25 years old before our relationship started to mend. Now, I finally have my father.
Thank you Lisa, Sometimes the human mine doesn’t work right and people do things that they don’t know they are doing at the moment.2/3 of the things I have done I don’t know why weather they were good or bad.None of it makes since.Being crazy isn’t easy.
Lisa and Charles, thank you for posting.
Charles, does this mean you show remorse in what you told the media?
TAH apologized. Your daughter, Lisa, apologized.
Will you be doing the same?
Also, have you notified the news media that you were not a Vietnam POW so that they may update/correct your story?
Lisa, PTS does not magically go away. PTS takes work just to make it come less often. Self medicating does not work,BTDT. PTS does not make one lie about their service nor awards. PTS mainly makes one reculive or not trusting people as a whole. The degree of PTS is roughly equal to the combat involved in. Joe
Give a watch. Then come back and say what you will.
http://guardianofvalor.com/8th-of-november-a-tribute-to-lawrence-joel-niles-harris-and-all-our-other-veterans/
Sorry. Please page down to the video at the link.
2/17 Air Cav
Very powerful.
Charles R Jenkins
So, that`s it huh? “I am fucking crazy, therefore I am not responsible”. Look, if you won`t apologize to TAH, at least try and show some respect and honor to your Brigade for God`s sake!
2/17 Air Cav: The Video. Wow. Very powerful indeed. Thank you.
Charles and Lisa: Hope you both watched it and reflect.
It takes a person with strong character and fortitude to humbly admit they made a mistake, that they were wrong and that they are sorry.
Have no clue what you went thru in Vietnam, Charles. But I do know you came home alive and were not subjected to tortue, abuse, isolation and humuliation as our POWs.
And Lisa, of all the Service Members who should be experiencing PTSD, one would rationally expect it would be those gentlemen. Yes, they suffered and were tormented, but the vast majority led normal lives.
Charles, it is time for you to be that man and Soldier again and stand on your own two feet and apologize for your error in telling the news media you were a POW instead of letting your daughter do the apology for you.
I watched the video and it was truly powerful. I’m still crying. I can’t begin to imagine the fear and trauma they went through. While I understand most went on to lead a normal life, my father didn’t. I don’t believe he was given a good foundation as a child to handle the mental strain of being a combat soldier. I know it appears he isn’t apologizing, but his reply to my comment was an apology to the best of his abilities. I don’t expect you to believe or understand that, but because I know him and his abilities and limitations, I know that was his way of saying he’s sorry. My dad has been fighting demons his whole life. He literally just tries to make it one day at a time. No matter what his shortcomings are, his five children still love him dearly and we will hold his hand through every situation. When he got sober, the only thing that mattered was that his kids could forgive him. He succeeded at that. When he takes his final breath, he will know without a doubt that if no one else ever loved him, his children did and that his life was not in vain.
Lisa, am only speaking for myself and not for TAH other than to point out the keeper of this Blog is a Desert Storm/Desert Shield Veteran and has been in combat as well…and on behalf of TAH, he apologized.
Others on TAH are Combat Veterans as well.
Yes, I do not know your Father.
I do see an individual who still has his limbs, eyesight and hearing that he is able to ride a motorcycle, play the guitar, type on a computer and must have some knowledge of the internet to correspond with TAH, raise and breed dogs and manage a bar.
I see pictures of a man that did not have to go thru painful reconstructive surgeries nor has he been disfigured for life.
I see a person, not a former soldier/Vietnam Veteran, who has disgrace and dishonor the uniform he wore, the country he has served and insulted the true Vietnam POWs.
We are masters of our own destiny. It takes someone with true courage to admit they lied to the public, to have remorse for their actions and to apology for their wrongdoings. Having medals and ribbons and going around wearing apparel and hats depicting “Look at Me…I’m a Vietnam Veteran” does not trump integrity, honesty and sincerity.
That is your Father. You and your siblings have to live with him the rest of your life. Just remember this: In your eyes, he may be a special man, but he is not the only person who has served in a conflict. He came home ALIVE. Think and reflect about those families who have love ones STILL missing in action, even from WWII.
Yeah, your Father has issues. He can’t say he is sorry because he won’t admit he screwed up big time. He cares more about his reputation and saving his face. There is no excuse for what he did except he is a self-centered person. And he has Enablers.
Thanks for the feedback.
Ms. Maxwell. Your father’s bravery in combat resulted in his receiving a valor award. His combat wound resulted in his receiving a Purple heart. He was a paratrooper whose outfit was engaged in heavy combat in Vietnam and about which that song and video were produced. None of this is questioned. All of it is documented. What causes many of us to wince is the personal angst we feel when a man with your Dad’s military record embellishes it needlessly for reasons we cannot fathom. His comments to the newspaper were clear and lucid. No one has claimed that the reporter misquoted him or misattributed the POW statement to him. It’s baffling to many of us because those who are Valor Thieves lay claim to the very things your Dad actually did. It was sort of crazy and altogether unnecessary. I truly wish you and him well. You are a good daughter.
I understand what you all are saying and I’m truly sorry.
Wish your Father could say the same thing.
Good Luck.
And if you read all the blogs of TAH, you may note our country just lost another Marine. He will be coming home, but not the same way as your Father, i.e. alive.
Yes, I read that. I pray for his family.