Marvin Jenkins

JENKINS, MARVIN E. Funeral services are scheduled for Thursday, October 20, 2011 at LaGrone Funeral Chapel for Marvin E. Jenkins, age 94, of Roswell, who passed away on October 15, 2011. Rev. Richard Smith will officiate with interment to follow at South Park Cemetery. Military Honors will be provided by Roswell Veterans Honor Guard.
Marvin was born September 1, 1917 in McKinney, Texas to William and Ada Jenkins. They have preceded him in death. He was also preceded in death by a daughter, Gladys M. Jenkins and a sister, Edith Johnston.
Marvin married Elizabeth Gardner on January 31, 1944 in McKay, Australia. She has also preceded him in death.
Marvin is survived by son: Ken Jenkins of Dexter, NM sisters: Ala Gene Rose, Corine Bell, Pauline Hurt and Laverne Moore.
Marvin served his country in WW II. He was a member of the American Legion , VFW and the BPOE Elks Lodge.
Marvin had a passion for flying at an early age. He paid a dime to fly with a barnstormer in a WWI biplane called a Jenny. The pilot was barnstorming across northern Texas landing in farmers fields.
The day after Pearl Harbor was attacked Marvin drove from Williams, AZ to Phoenix to enlist in the Army Air Corps. He underwent pilots training at nearby Luke Air Field but was washed out at the very end of training because of bad feet.
He instead became a crew chief and was shipped over to New Guinea in the Pacific. Marvin was assigned to the 5th Air Force USAAF and flew in B17 Flying Fortresses. Later he flew as copilot in C47s landing on tiny air strips cut in the jungle in support of American ground troops.
Marvin spent 3 years in New Guinea and received an honorable discharge at the conclusion of the war in 1945. He went on to gain his private pilots license.
Marvin tried a couple of different occupations before deciding to become a heavy equipment operator which suited his independent nature. He worked in highway projects all over New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. In 1976 the California company, OWL, sought Marvin to go to Saudi Arabia for a year. When Marvin could not manage to get his two closet working associates, Jasper Jack Daniels and James Jim Beam into Saudi Arabia, he opted out of his contract with OWL after six months.
Marvin begun his career in highway construction in 1950 and in 2007 decided he was done.

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