Genoa resident Bennie Rinkol was presented with a Quilt of Valor on Sunday. His quilt was created by Josie Williams and it will be on display at the Nebraska State Fair. NCJ photo by Rick Holtz
GENOA — That’s how you celebrate your 101st birthday.
Bennie Rinkol was presented with a Quilt of Valor on Sunday. The Genoa resident received the quilt surrounded by his family.
Rinkol’s quilt was created by Josie Williams and was one of three presentations at the Nance County Fair. Dennis Gabriel and Susan K. Smith received their quilts during the fair.
Bennie Rinkol was born in 1924; he was one of 10 children. His family settled in Krakow in 1938. Due to the need for help on the farm, Bennie finished schooling at 8th grade. He was drafted on July 28, 1944. He took his physical In Omaha. He was later sent to Fort Leavenworth, Kansas for induction and basic training. He was placed in the Army. Following basic training he was sent to Camp Walters, Texas, for 17 weeks of infantry training. After that he was given two weeks furlough. He spent that time with family and then reported to Camp Beal in California. He was assigned to the 158 Infantry Regiment. Then transported by ship to Manila. After landing in Manila, they marched to Luzon in the southern Philippines, which is where he started to fight the Japanese. During the battles they fought to take mountains and in doing so many scouts were killed. The Japanese were clever in hiding, which led to Bennie being ordered to be a scout. Bennie was successful in leading his men up the mountains. After being on the front line for two months and living in foxholes a poisonous snake bit Bennie in his sleep. He woke up with his hands and arms swollen and a hole in his finger from the bite. His commander ordered him to go to the hospital. He needed 63 shots of penicillin over his 30-day stay at the hospital. He was dismissed from the hospital to return to his platoon. He later discovered his whole platoon had been killed. The snake saved Bennie’s life.
He was put in another platoon and sent back to the battlefield. His life was saved again when a fellow soldier shot a Japanese soldier that was in arm’s length of reaching Bennie. He was in and out of battles with low food supplies and continued to live in foxholes. After 7 months his platoon came back to camp to begin a 6-week training to invade Japan. On August 6th, 1945, a B29 bomber bombed Hiroshima, Japan. Three days later a bomb was dropped on Nagasaki leading Japan to surrender. After the bombings Bennie was stationed in Yokohama where he took over buildings and stayed close to barracks at night due to the Japanese not believing the war is over. He was assigned to motor pool to serve as a truck driver. After 6 months he returned home in August of 1946. He was honorably discharged on August 17th, 1946, at the rank of Technician 5th Grade with honors of a World War II victory medal, Army of Occupation medal, Philippine Liberation ribbon, Asiatic Pacific Campaign medal, and Good Conduct medal. He is proud to say his life was saved three times during the war, by a snake, army buddy, and the US President Harry Truman. Throughout all the trials of war that Bennie has experienced, we as a nation are grateful. Thank you, Bennie!