Junction Youth Ends Portion of Pilot Training
Columbus Junction—Silver pilot wings and an air corps commission are only nine weeks away fro Aviation Cadet Charles W. Jenkins, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Jenkins of Cotter, who this week completed nine weeks of basic flight training at Majors Field, Tex., near Greenville. He will continue training at the advanced flying school at Ellington Field, Houston, Tex.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, October 8, 1943
RECEIVE AIR CORPS COMMISSION
Commissions as second lieutenants in the U. S. army air corps have been awarded to three from this vicinity: Myron Jacobs and Charles W. Narvis, of Muscatine, and Charles Jenkins of Columbus Junction, upon completion of training at air corps centers in Texas.
Jacobs and Jenkins are home on furlough before reporting later this month for new assignments.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, December 8, 1943 (photo included)
Columbus Junction:
COMES FOR VISIT.
Second Lieut. Charles Jenkins, who came from Ellington, Tex., to spend his furlough with relatives, left Wednesday morning for Kansas where he will be stationed. Mrs. Jenkins, who has been with him, accompanied him.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, Dec. 17, 1943
ITEMS OF NEWS OF JUNCTION MEN IN ARMED FORCES
Columbus Junction—Mrs. Robert Hanft, of Columbus Junction and Mrs. Myron Jacobs of Muscatine, drove to Colorado Springs, Colo., last week to visit their husbands in camp there. They drove the car of Lieut. Charles Jenkins, who is also stationed there.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, April 17, 1944
Lt. C. W. Jenkins, Junction, B-24 Crew Commander
Columbus Junction—Lieut. Charles W. Jenkins, son of County Supervisor and Mrs. John J. Jenkins of Cotter, is now overseas as pilot and ship crew commander of a B-24 Liberator bomber. He completed advanced training recently at Colorado Springs, Colo.
Lieut. Jenkins enlisted in the service early in February, 1943, at Des Moines, received his preliminary training at Kelly Field, San Antonio, Tex., and preliminary flight training at Liberty Field, Greenville, Tex.; advanced pilot training at Ellington Field, Houston, Tex., where he received his wings and commission, Dec. 1, 1943. His next station was at Liberal, Kan., where he received training in the B-24 Liberator bomber, and from there he went to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he picked up his ship’s crew and then trained with them at Lincoln, Kan. They received their new ship at Colorado Springs, Colo., and took off for overseas at that point.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, July 8, 1944
Lt. Charles W. Jenkins, who is with a bomb group, recently landed in Africa, and has participated in several missions.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, July 22, 1944
Lieut. Jenkins Given Air Medal With Citation
FIFTEENTH AAF IN ITALY—Second Lieut. Charles W. Jenkins, 26, son of John J. Jenkins, of (NSA) Cotter, Ia., has been awarded the Air Medal, it was announced by 15th Army Air Force headquarters.
In the words of the citation, Lt. Jenkins was awarded the medal “for meritorious achievement in aerial flight while participating in sustained operational activities against the enemy.” A pilot, Lt. Jenkins is stationed in Italy with a 15th AAF Liberator bombardment squadron, which has been bombing Ploesti, Vienna, Steyr, Toulon and other vital targets in the network of German industrial centers throughout southern Europe.
A student at Iowa State College when he enlisted with the army air forces on Aug. 8, 1942, Lt. Jenkins is a member of the Delta Epsilon fraternity. He was commissioned on Dec. 5, 1943, upon completion of advanced pilot cadet training.
Lt. Jenkins has flown 29 combat missions over enemy-held territory since his arrival in the Mediterranean theater of operations.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, September 8, 1944
Columbus Junction—Capt. Charles Jenkins, who has been in the air corps in Italy, arrived at Cotter Thursday and is visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Jenkins and his wife and baby. He had been overseas since July.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, December 13, 1944
Awards Presented Capt. Jenkins, Junction Guest
Columbus Junction—Capt. Charles W. Jenkins, who has served six months in Italy as a 39 combat missions on his record, and who is visiting his wife and son, William Farrel, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. J. Jenkins, and other relatives, has been awarded the Distinquished Flying Cross and also the Air Medal for the completion of his missions according to public relations office at Miami, Fla.
He was based at Foggia on the Italian coast and participated in the invasion of France, and has flown missions over Romania, Austria, Germany, Hungary, and Yugo-Slavia. In practically every mission the ship of which he was pilot was struck by anti-aircraft flak and sometimes as many as 70 bullet holes were counted in the ship when it checked back at the base.
One none of the 39 missions did Capt. Jenkins or any member of his crew suffer wounds. The plane did not fare so well and often flew back with only three engines in commission.
Capt. Jenkins is home on a 21-day leave and will then be sent to the west coast.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, December 15, 1944
Columbus Junction.
GO TO TEXAS.
Mrs. Charles Jenkins and son, William Farrell Jenkins, have gone to Ft. Worth, Tex., to join their husband and father, Capt. Charles Jenkins, who has been stationed there since returning from the Italian front where he completed 29 bombing missions . They accompanied Sgt. and Mrs. William Luckey from Osceola, Ia., where they were taken by Capt. Jenkins’ parents, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Jenkins. The Luckeys were returning to Texas after spending a furlough here and at Des Moines.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, March 1, 1945
Columbus Junction—Capt. Charles W. Jenkins, who has been stationed at the Army Air Field at Fort Worth, Tex., is here on leave visiting his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John J. Jenkins, of Cotter. Mrs. Jenkins and their son, Farrel, who have been in Texas with Capt. Jenkins, returned with him. They are also visiting Mrs. Jenkins’ mother, Mrs. Manford Gentzler and family.
Source: Muscatine Journal and News-Tribune, May 14, 1945
Charles William Jenkins was born June 29, 1918 to John J. and Elsie Getts Jenkins. He died June 9, 1987 and is buried in Columbus City Cemetery, Columbus City, IA.
Source: ancestry.com
