Obituaries:  Lt. Harold L. Jennings, Sabine, Natchitoches Parish       J-552
Source:  Allen Advocate, Allen, La., May 23, 1952
Submitted by: Tammy Larche-Smith
              tammy@cp-tel.net


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The Allen Advocate - Lt. Harold L. Jennings

  23 May 1952 - (Picture Included) - (From Allen Advocate) -
Early last week a tragic bit of new was given some circulation
around Allen. Several people received letters from their loved
ones in Korea to the effect that Lt. Harold L. Jennings had been
killed.

  Then later in the week, an official notification came to Mrs.
Crawford Johnson from the Department of the Army which stated
definitely that the news was true. The letter was dated April 29.
It recited that Lt. Jennings met his death on April 22.

  The official letter did not provide any of the details of
the tragedy, but contained the promise tat a more complete
account would be forthcoming.

  Feeling sure that the official report of Lt. Jennings' death
will not greatly contradict the hearsay stories, the Advocate has
decided to print such details as are available.

  The information, now at hand, explains the tragic
happening as follows:

  Lt. Jennings and three more men went out at 2:30 p.m. to make
a reconnaissance (or investigation) of the battle-torn ground
which lay between the American lines and those of the Communist.
For two hours and a half they probed and scouted without any
challenge from the enemy and without any other disturbing
incident.

  At about 5:00 p.m. the man ahead of Lt. Jennings trampled the
exploding mechanism of a well-concealed mime. He was instantly
killed.

  The man behind Jennings screamed out in pain. Seeing that the
fellow in advance of his was beyond help, Jennings threw down the
maps he was carrying and turned to give aid to the man behind
him. Is so doing he tripped an unseen wire which exploded another
mine.

  The second explosion killed Jennings and the other man who
was closest to him.

  The fourth man in the party was injured by the second blast
and was left alive to tell how all of it happened.

  Harold Loyd Jennings was a graduate of Allen high school and
was well known and well liked here. He had been made a first
lieutenant not long ago and also had recently signed up for thee
years more of duty. He was slated to become commander of the
company with which he was connected. On the strength of his
recent assignment he had written to his wife requesting that she
come to Japan to remain until his further orders.

  Surviving are the widow, Mrs. June Jennings of Clare, his
mother, Mrs. Beulah Honson, Allen; father, Fred Jennings,
California; three brothers, Freeman and Tony Jennings, both of
New Braunsfel, Texas, and Ramsey Johnson, Allen; four sisters,
Mrs. Patsy Vinson, Frances Jennings, Lois and Doris Johnson, all
of Allen.

  (Mrs. Jennings is the former Miss June McNeely of
Clare.)