Reuben Ellis Jenkins (February 14, 1896 – July 29, 1975) was a lieutenant general in the United States Army.
Early life Jenkins was born in Cartersville, Georgia, on February 14, 1896. In April 1917, he enlisted as a private in the Georgia National Guard.10,000 Famous Freemasons, By William R. Denslow and Harry S. Truman, A to J, Part One, 1957, pages 293 to 294
World War I In August 1918, Jenkins was commissioned as a second lieutenant. He served throughout World War I, commanding companies in the 31st, 77th and 1st Infantry Divisions.10,000 Famous Freemasons
Post-World War I Jenkins remained on active duty after World War I. In 1920, he was stationed at Camp Taylor, Kentucky. In 1922, he graduated from the Infantry Officer Course.U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1954
During the 1920s and 1930s, Jenkins served in assignments of increasing responsibility. He graduated from the Command and General Staff College in 1936. In 1937, he was assigned to Fort Moultrie, South Carolina.1936–1937 Annual Report , U.S. Army Command and General Staff College, 1937, p. 6U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1937
Jenkins graduated from the Army War College in 1938, afterwards serving as an instructor at the Command & General Staff College.U.S. Army Register, 1954
In 1941, Jenkins was assigned to the office of the Army Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, G-1 in Washington, D.C.U.S. Army Register, published by U.S. Army Adjutant General, 1941
World War II In 1943, Jenkins became Chief of the Officer Branch for the Army Services of Supply.U.S. Army Register, 1954
From 1944 to 1945, Jenkins was assigned to the 6th Army Group as a brigadier general.10,000 Famous Freemasons As Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations (G-3), he took part in planning the organization's combat operations, including its advance through Bavaria into Austria and post-war occupation duty.
Post-World War II In 1946, General Jenkins was assigned as President of the Army Ground Forces Board.Magazine article, Private to General, published in Life of the Soldier and the Airman, 1949, volumes 35–36, p. 9
Jenkins was named assistant director of the Joint U.S. Military Advancement and Planning Group in Athens, Greece in 1948, advanced to Director, with promotion to major general, and remained in Greece until 1951.Outposts and Allies: U.S. Army Logistics in the Cold War, 1945–1953, by James Alvin Huston, 1988, pp. 180-181Magazine article, Foreign News: Anti-Communist Defense in the Balkans, published in Time Magazine, April 2, 1951 In this assignment, he took part in the successful American effort to defeat a communist insurgency by rebuilding, equipping and training the Greek Army, which had been degraded by nonstop combat during World War II.The Will to Win: the Life of General James A. Van Fleet, by Paul F. Braim, 2001
From 1951 to 1952, General Jenkins was the Army's Assistant Chief of Staff for Operations, G-3.The National Guardsman, 1952, Volume 6, p. 44
Korean War Jenkins was assigned to command IX Corps in Korea, receiving promotion to lieutenant general and serving until he was wounded, after which he was evacuated to the U.S. to recuperate. In October 1952, Jenkins led a successful counterattack in the Chorwon Valley to defeat a North Korean attack, for which he received the Distinguished Service Cross.Military Times, Hall of Valor, Alphabetical Index of Distinguished Service Cross Recipients The citation for his DSC reads:
In 1953, Jenkins returned to Korea as commander of X Corps, serving until his 1954 retirement.U.S. Army Register, 1954
Awards and decorations In addition to the Distinguished Service Cross, Jenkins was a recipient of two Distinguished Service Medals, the Legion of Merit and the Purple Heart.U.S. Army Register, 1954
Retirement and death Jenkins lived in the area around Fort Benning and was active in several veterans' organizations and civic groups, including the Rotary Club.The Rotarian, June, 1963, page 42
General Jenkins died in Columbus, Georgia, from a self-inflicted gunshot on July 29, 1975.Newspaper article, Fatally Wounded, Rome (Georgia) News-Tribune, July 30, 1975
The Reuben E. Jenkins Papers are part of the collections of the U.S. Army's Military History Institute in Carlisle, Pennsylvania.WorldCat Library, Reuben E. Jenkins Papers page
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