| Original caption: “Lieutenant General George S. Patton, United States Third Army commander, pins the Silver Star on Private Ernest A. Jenkins of New York City for his conspicuous gallantry in the liberation of Chateaudun, France.” United States Army General George S. Patton Jr. (November 11, 1885 – December 21, 1945) decorates Military Policeman United States Army Private Ernest A. Jenkins (July 20, 1916 – January 18, 1972) with the Silver Star. Patton is carrying his .45 caliber (11.5 millimeter) Long Colt Single Action revolver, 1873 Army Model, and a .357 caliber (9.1 millimeter) Magnum Smith & Wesson revolver. He had the grips made out of ivory. Jenkins shoulders an M1903 Springfield .30 caliber rifle. Patton’s aide often carried a bag of Bronze and Silver Stars because the General liked to give out decorations on a whim. Patton’s diary seems to indicate this took place on October 10, 1944, when he visited the 90th Infantry Division Command Post. Jenkins was driving in a Willys MB jeep with United States Army Major Charles W. Ketterman of the 176th Quartermaster Truck Battalion, 514th Quartermaster Group, and entered Châteaudun — a commune on the Lore River with a heavy anti-aircraft presence that had downed many Allied aircraft — on the night of August 16-17, 1944. They arrived before other Allied elements, believing Châteaudun was liberated, while the town was still held by Nazi German forces. Coming under fire, Jenkins and Ketterman assaulted a Nazi artillery position with their M1903 .30 caliber (7.62 millimeter) Springfields and M1 Caribines and M1911 .45 caliber pistols for 8 hours, killing 3 Germans, including Nazi German Heer (“Army”) Gefrieter Adolf Deutsch (February 15, 1915 – August 16, 1944) of 3.Batterie (“Third Battery”) of Leichte Flak-Abteilung 931 (“Light Anti-Aircraft Division 931”), and wounding others. When the gun was silenced, they took positions in the town; the next morning Jenkins and Ketterman captured 15 Nazis hiding in a cave. They were given credit for the liberation of Châteaudun. Enlisted on March 25, 1941, Jenkins was honorably discharged on November 9, 1945. He was decorated with the Silver Star, the French Croix de Guerre, the Soldier’s Medal, the Bronze Star, and the Purple Heart during World War II. Jenkins grew up in Georgia but listed his residence in Harlem during his wartime service. The 514th Quartermaster Group, a segregated African American unit, experienced intense racial discrimination during their training and bivouac in England prior to D-Day. Some enlisted men feared riding the bus in Camp Pickett, Virginia, because white soldiers would not allow them to board. Many avoided going into town altogether. Once in France, Red Cross centers in Cherbourg were off limits to men of the 514th until a chaplain interceded. The men found that Jim Crow was exported from the United States to Europe, and that the British and French were generally more tolerant of them. White Americans could – and did – bring African American soldiers up on charges of rape just for associating with English women. Units like the 514th received antiquated weapons and used gear. Ketterman was a veteran of World War I, enlisting at age 15 and serving for 2 years as the youngest known member of the American Expeditionary Force. He was awarded his 1st French Croix de Guerre in 1918. He applied for and was awarded a Purple Heart in July 1941 for his participation in the Battle of the Marne in 1918. He attributed the delay to his company personnel records being destroyed in combat during World War I. He reenlisted in April 1941 and remained a 1st Sergeant until 1942, when he was selected for Officers Candidate School while serving in the Aleutians. He received his commission as a 2nd Lieutenant on July 3, 1942. He was sent to France in 1944. He was seriously wounded on March 21, 1945, when he was hit in the left thigh and bones in his right foot arch were shattered by a Nazi German sniper’s bullets. He was flown to England and then back to the United States for surgery and rehabilitation. Ketterman received the Silver Star from Patton the same day, a 2nd French Croix de Guerre, and a 2nd Purple Heart. He held a public viewing of his collection of Nazi German field equipment in October 1945 at a Pasadena, California barbershop that included rifles, pistols, binoculars, canteens, and bayonets. He became the commander of his local Veterans of Foreign Wars Post and was an advocate for housing for veterans in Pasadena. He was field deputy to the County Supervisor. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0443.jpg |
| Image Size | 631.58 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2296 x 2910 |
| Photographer | |
| Photographer Title | United States Army Signal Corps |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | October 10, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | Doncourt-sur-Meuse |
| State or Province | Grand Est |
| Country | France |
| Archive | National Archives and Records Administration |
| Record Number | NWDNS-208-FS-3489-2 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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