Evening star., 1963-02-06
SlEGH Ar LARGE
Lew Jenkins Life
CoIorfuI, at Least
By MORRIS sIEGEC

LEW JENKINS LIFE seems to be retirement after
another First he retired as heavyweight drinker next
as lightweight fighter and come May he'll retire from
the Army after 20-year hitch.
jenkins gave up fighting 13 years ago after foul
punctuaed fiasco here against Beau Jack Many in the
audience under the impression he had given up be-
fore the fight, but that's another story
He quit drinking years ago. If only half Of what
jenkins insists is the gospel about his booze bouts the
event did not get the coverage 1t deserved 1t like
they say Of other epochal moments the end of an era.
When he finally threw In the towel against ageesS
John Barleycorn jenkins took up golf AS golfer he
plays well enough, his seven handicap attests AS
boozer he was scratch player.
THE HIGHDIGHT OF my drinking career" he laughed
came night when they had help get into the
ring not out Of It, managed to sneak little booze
in my water bucket for nip between rounds"
The idea Of the visit to Fort Myer yesterday was to
inspect lst Sergt Lew Jenkins USA former lightweight
champion Of the world The way 1t went is almost de-
veloped into an addition for a whisky commercial.
yep" he drawled 1--WE been known to take nip
once in WHILE" jenkins voluntary recitation of his
whisky workouts remindfu of the story Lewis
tells Of his piano player Austin Mack II never knew
Mack drank until he came to work sober day. Lewis
says.
The scraggyfaced jenkins laughs about it today He
laughed about it then, too I'm 49, almost AZ he smiled
land I've enjoyed every drinking moment Of it."
LEW is TOUGH LITTLE Texan who came out Of all
his fights we-decorated AS Coast Guardsmen aboard
LIST he at Ano Sicily and other hot spots during
World War H. Later in Korea after re-enlisting in the
Army, he was platoon sergeant with rifle company
at Heartbreak Ridge and Bloody Ridge
His boxing decorations include Dashed In nose ears
that to be only left hook away from being per-
fecy cauliflowered and slightly abored speech In the
classic sense, he wasn't much Of fighter He says it
himself.
"Au could do was punch with this hand" he said,
clenching his right fist had learned to fight
Never took the time. Just drank and when fight
came up went in punching That's all ever knew how
to do. When the title was through punched out
and whskyed out"
But could hit doctor examined me right here in
Washington and said had combination Of great
eyesight and great refIexes which enabled to take
advantages Of openings quicker than anybody he'd
I believe nim"
JENKINS FLEW IN from Munich with a team Of CT
fighters who'll participate in the big Army boxing carnival
at Fort Myer Lew isn't too impressed with the pro pros
poets of any Of the GIs his team, any he's
recently.
y Life in the Army is too good to breed fighters" he
drawled They know they got chow clothes place to
bunk and few bucks each month going for them So they
don't have to fight hard they don't have to grub out
"One time In Korea, when getting ready to
take hill, lamebran says to me, DO eat before
we attack? amt had nothing to eat in "A hours Ser
geant told him during the depression went three days
without food and there wasn't no Commies around then
like there where Life is too soft for them
to-day, that's ALL"
- WHEN JENKINS SPOKE of tough times he was speak
ing expert He popped up in Washington quarter
of century ago, broke "as usual presented himself to
Godie Ahearn as an Army fighter" and Goldie quickly
put him to work.
Later he worked his way to New York with only eight
dollars in his pockets Fought the usual club fights and
finally got into Madison Square Garden where he stiff
fened Bill Marquart 81 favorte. Two fights later
he fought and beat Lou Ambers for the lightweight cham
pionship.
Eight months before" he recalled, II had paid $l1O
to watch Ambers beat Henry Armstrong for the title
was far back in Yankee Stadium couldn't tell one
from the other brought radio to the fight so could
tell who winning"
Lew doesn't know what he'll do when he's paid off in
May an miss the Army" he said softly Twenty
is long time to be with somebody especially somebody
that's been as good to me the Army. prouder
today then the day won the title.
To-day got respect laugh at those buns used to
bum around with"
He excused himself to go to the MOO club for drink
Coffee, presumed.