Don Bell submitted this old newspaper clipping to Lake Media of the Jenkins brothers of Miller County. The circa 1942 article stated, "Here is a trio of boys which Miller county may be proud to call their own. They are the Jenkins boys, sons of Mr. and Mrs. I.D. Jenkins, of near Eugene. Clyde Lee and Andrew both have been in the Navy more than three years, while Tennyson has been in the service about 2 1/2 years. All boys are radiomen, and for some time were stationed on the same ship. They all saw action in the Pearl Harbor attack, December 7, a year ago."

Andrew, Clyde Lee, and Tennyson Jenkins were all at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese attacked Dec. 7, 1941. At the time, I believe they all had separate duty stations on different ships and perhaps ashore. As far as I know, Dwight and Lettie Jenkins were the only parents in the U.S. to have three sons on duty there that day, but I could be wrong. During the War, all three wrote "dispatches" home to be published in the Miller County Autogram. Of course they had to have a censor's stamp of approval. All three survived the War but are now deceased.

At the beginning of WWII, it was not unusual for brothers to be stationed on the same ship. That policy was changed because of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, IA, who died in the sinking of the USS Juneau in 1942. It was the greatest known loss of life of brothers in any U.S. war.

The Jenkins “boys” were cousins of mine through the Thompson family and I knew them all in life. My dad, Garsy Wright, and I often attended the Thompson reunion and loved to talk with the Jenkinses. Dad knew them and their dad, Dwight Jenkins, well. Clyde played the banjo in a pick-up bluegrass band that would entertain the crowd. They were exceptional people who joined the Navy to get off the farm and get some training. In fairly short order, they found themselves in the middle of a world war and made some history. These are men that I am proud to have known and were heroes of the “Greatest Generation.”

More on the Jenkins family. These three brothers were very intelligent and talented. Clyde Lee built (yes, built—perhaps from some sort of kit) the first television I ever watched--the lights were all turned off in the room and it was an Abbott & Costello comedy followed by a wrestling match. This was in the very early 1950s---the picture was pretty snowy but we didn’t care. It was a miracle to us. Clyde Lee was elected to the State Legislature for a three terms and later was a longtime Miller County Clerk. At various times in life, he ran a radio repair shop and also worked as a plumber and electrician. His History of Miller County (in two volumes) is still the "Bible" when it comes to Miller County History. Clyde Lee’s widow, Pauline (Bittle) Jenkins, is still living as of 2015.

Andrew Jenkins was a respected farmer and carpenter in the Eugene area for many years and was a civic and church leader. He earned a bronze star with valor in the Pacific theater of WWII.

Tennyson Jenkins became an educator and was Supt. of the Cole R-V Schools at Eugene when I was in first grade, 1952-53. He later earned a doctorate and was a professor for many years at Fullerton College, Orange County, California. He retired as the Chairman of the College’s Business Department. One of my enduring memories was a school assembly at which Tennyson introduced and narrated a showing of actual combat footage of the Pacific War, including the Battle of Okinawa. The kamikaze attacks were very exciting. We little kids knew nothing of the realities of war.

Below are obituaries for the “Jenkins Boys” in order of their deaths:

Clyde Lee Jenkins

Obituary: Jefferson City Post Tribune, Friday, March 14, 1997

Clyde Lee Jenkins, 77, Tuscumbia, died Thursday at Boone Hospital Center, Columbia. He was born Sept 3, 1919, in Eugene, a son of Ingram D. and Lettie Holloway Jenkins. He was married Dec 24, 1951, in Tuscumbia, to Pauline Bittle, who survives of the home.

He was a Navy veteran of World War II. He served as a state representative for six years, and as Miller County Commissioner for several years. He was then the Miller County clerk, retiring in 1982. A lifetime resident of Miller County, he was a member of Eugene Christian Church.

Other survivors include: one son, Clayton Jenkins, Tuscumbia; one daughter, Leila Hibler, Eldon; three brothers, Tennyson Jenkins, Henley and James Jenkins, Eugene; one sister Lula Fishburn, Haven, Kan.; and six grandchildren.

Services will be at 2 p.m. Saturday at Phillips Funeral Home, Eldon. The Rev. Danny McNeal and the Rev. Don Bilbary will officiate. Burial, with military honors, will be in Spring Garden Cemetery, Eugene.

Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. today. Memorials are suggested to the Clyde Lee Jenkins College Scholarship Fund.

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Andrew D. Jenkins

Andrew D. Jenkins, 82, Henley, died June 25, 1999, at his home.

He was born Jan. 13, 1917, in Miller County, a son of Ingram D. and Lettie Hollaway Jenkins. He was married Nov. 27, 1952, in Eugene, to Margaret Thomas, who survives at the home.

A Navy veteran of World War II, he participated in eight amphibious operations in the Pacific Theater and was awarded the Bronze Star with valor. He was a dairy farmer and a carpenter.

He was a member of Eugene Christian Church, where he was superintendent of the Sunday school for several years. He was secretary/treasurer of Spring Garden Cemetery for the last 20 years. He also was a community 4-H leader.

Other survivors include: one son, Clark Jenkins, Garland, Texas; three daughters, Marla Sweaney, Oklahoma City, Okla., Nelda Bodenheimer, Virginia Beach, Va., and Lorna Piper, Flemington; three brothers, Dr. Tennyson Jenkins, Wildomar, Calif., James Jenkins, Eugene, and Lula Fishburn, Haven, Kan.; three stepbrothers, Warren Kallenbach, Palo Alto, Calif., Roger Kallenbach, Stockton, and John Ray Kallenbach, state of Virginia; one sister, Lula Fishburn, Haven, Kan.; and 11 grandchildren.

Services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Phillips Funeral Home, Eldon. Burial will be in Spring Garden Cemetery, Eugene.

Visitation will be from 4-8 p.m. Monday.

Memorials are suggested to the Show-Me Christian Youth Home or the Spring Garden Cemetery.

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Dr. Tennyson “Tink” Jenkins

Dr. Tennyson "Tink" Jenkins, 78, of the state of California died Dec. 3, 2000, in Los Angeles.

He was born March 4, 1922 in Eugene.

Dr. Jenkins served six years in the U.S. Navy, including at Pearl Harbor during World War II. He received his college education at Millikin University in Decatur, Ill., his masters degree at the University of Missouri - Columbia and his doctorate in Florida. He became Superintendent of Schools in Eugene and retired as Chairman of the Business Department at Fullerton College in Fullerton, Calif.

Surviving are his wife of 55 years, Kathryn Lornell Jenkins; two children, James Jenkins and Jean Toll; four grandchildren; a great-grandchild; two siblings, Lula Fishburn and James Jenkins; and three sister-in-laws, Ethel, Margaret and Pauline Jenkins.

Funeral services were held Dec. 12 at Church of Our Fathers, Forest Lawn, Cypress, Calif.

Alan Terry Wright---2015