Harold Jenkins Jr.

LTC(Ret) Harold Augustus Jenkins, Jr., 77, transitioned from his earthly existence at his home, surrounded by loved ones, in Sharpsburg, GA on Saturday, 26 September 2020. Integrity in word and deed, fidelity to family and country and an abiding faith in God were the guiding virtues that informed his life. Harold was born in McKeesport, PA on 8 August 1943 to Lt. Harold Augustus Jenkins and Berniece Marion Pangburn. He was the oldest of six children: Kenneth Bruce, Sandramarie Yvonne, Stephen Forrest, Christopher Edwin and Vantony Arthur. Being a military family, they moved many times around the Continental US and Germany, and he attended quite a few schools during his formative years. In 1957 the family moved to Orangeburg, South Carolina where his father assumed leadership of the ROTC program at then SC State College. Harold entered Wilkinson Senior High School and graduated valedictorian of the Class of 1961. Upon graduation from Wilkinson, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. While there, his extracurricular activities included membership in the Cadet Chapel Choir, the Glee Club, the Debate Council and Forum, Bridge Club and on the track team. He was Captain of the 1964/65 track team and still holds the record for the 440-“yard” dash. In 1965, Harold graduated from West Point and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the US Army Infantry. His professional military career took him to assignments at Ft. Campbell, KY and Ft. Benning, GA and then to the Republic of Vietnam where he served as an Advisor to the 22nd Vietnamese Ranger Battalion. Toward the end of his 1st tour, he requested a second tour on the condition he be assigned to the same unit. Harold said Vietnamese soldiers often said the Americans didn’t really care about their cause because, unlike themselves, they came for a year and left. Unfortunately, they didn’t realize many Americans returned to Vietnam on subsequent assignments but didn’t return to units in which they’d previously served. Harold wanted to disabuse them of that perception. Word has it the unit celebrated for a week upon his return. During his leave between tours, in 1968, Harold married Laverne Caldwell of Orangeburg, SC. Their union was blessed with a son, Harold III, and a daughter, Cheryl Denise. Upon return from Vietnam, Harold was assigned to Ft. Benning (GA). While there, he pledged into the Epsilon Omega Chapter of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. in Orangeburg, SC. From Georgia the family moved to West Lafayette, IN where Harold attended Purdue University and received a Masters Degree in Industrial Relations. From Purdue he was assigned to West Point as a Tactical Officer in the 4 th Regiment then on to the Republic of Korea, Ft. Riley (KS) and Ft. Leavenworth (KS) where he attended the US Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC). A highlight of his career was being afforded the opportunity to return to West Point as a Tactical Officer, this time in the 1st Regiment. Toward the end of this tour he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and moved to Frankfurt, Germany where he served as the Headquarters V Corps Deputy G1. His final assignment was a return to Ft. Leavenworth as an instructor at CGSC. Harold retired in 1988 ready to start a new chapter. Though no longer on active duty, the family remained in Leavenworth and Harold continued to support military readiness as a Team Chief and Lead Senior Evaluator/Coach/Mentor in the Battle Command Training Program (BCTP), the Army’s premiere training program for division commanders and their respective staffs and chains-of-command. Later, he became a defense contractor in the US State Department’s Africa Contingency Operations Training & Assistance Program (ACOTA), eventually becoming the country lead for peacekeeping training in Ethiopia. This was definitely another highlight in his service career. He retired in 2014. In full retirement, Harold enjoyed his affiliation with Fairburn United Methodist Church, Fairburn, GA, where he served on the Board of Trustees until his health began to fail. Harold is now reunited with his parents, brothers Stephen and Bruce (killed in action in Vietnam,1968), sister Sandramarie and grandparents in Glory. He is survived by his wife Laverne; son Harold III (Tanesha) of Tyrone, GA; daughter Cheryl of Sharpsburg, GA; grandchildren: Meredith Walton (John) of Ft. Huachuca, AZ, Virginia Cooper (Anthony) of Dover AFB, DE, Tyra Jenkins, Rachel Hartfield, Harold IV and Nicholas Jenkins; great-grandchildren: Anthony Cooper, Jr., Ariel Rose Cooper and Alexander Bruce Cooper; brothers: Christopher Edwin (Gail) and Vantony Arthur (Brenda), both of Newport News, VA; aunt Margaret Dabney (Richmond, VA) and a host of nephews, nieces, cousins and friends. Out of an abundance of caution and respect for health & safety concerns, the family will not hold a memorial celebration at this time. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made: By check, made payable to: SC State University Foundation PO Box 7187 Orangeburg, SC 29117 memo line: Jenkins ROTC Scholarship/LTC Harold A Jenkins Jr Online: https://scstateconnect.scsu.edu/sslpage.aspx?pid=378 At drop-down box for gift designation, select “Other,” and enter “Jenkins ROTC Scholarship/LTC Harold A Jenkins Jr” (omit punctuation)