Today’s #VeteranOfTheDay is Ralph Jenkins.
Ralph served in the Navy from 1943 to 1945. He was assigned to USS Knox, which was responsible for deploying Marines and other personnel during campaigns in the Pacific during World War II.
During the battle of Iwo Jima he was tasked with going ashore after the Marines to retrieve causalities and bodies on the beach.
After WWII, Ralph re-enlisted in 1951 and was stationed at Naval Air Station Floyd Bennett Field, New York. He served his second enlistment until 1953.
Ralph’s family has a long line of service, dating back to the Civil and Revolutionary Wars and as current as the recent generation of conflicts.
Ralph passed away in 1999. He was 75.
We honor Ralph’s service.
Nominate a Veteran for #VeteranOfTheDay
Do you want to light up the face of a special Veteran? Have you been wondering how to tell your Veteran they are special to you? You’re in luck! VA’s #VeteranOfTheDay social media feature is an opportunity to highlight your Veteran and his/her service.
It’s easy to nominate a Veteran. All it takes is an email to newmedia@va.gov with as much of the information as you can put together with some good photos. Visit our blog post about nominating for how to create the best submission.
Topics in this story
More Stories
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Navy Veteran Ken Mattingly, who served as a pilot during the 1950s and later became an astronaut during the Apollo missions.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Air Force Veteran Gavino Cavazos, who served from 1949 to 1973 during both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
This week’s Honoring Veterans Spotlight honors the service of Army Veteran Howard Brown, who served during the Vietnam War from 1964 to 1969 and the Gulf War from 1969 to 1992.