Jason
Jenkinson
"Jenko"
27/08/1967 - 6/3/2008
Unfortunately our mate Jenko passed away after a long battle with cancer. He was the typical young aussie soldier when I knew him in 1992. There can only be one Jenko and he was a good mate - I would consider him part of my extended Army family. Mate you will be missed - a true aussie larrikin - gone too soon. Rest in Peace.
Jenko served as a Reservist Infantryman with the 5th/6th Battalion Royal Victorian Regiment and enlisted into the Australian Regular Army as a Linesman, Royal Australian Corps of Signals. He was posted to 1st Recruit Training Battalion, School of Signals, 2nd Signal Regiment, Force Communications Unit Cambodia (5 May 1992 - 14 Mar 1993), and Land Force Signal Unit before taking discharge in 1995. He served with the Australian Customs for 2000-2007.
I had been trying to track down Jenko for sometime. The last time I saw him was in 2002 at the UNTAC reunion. I
tried to email him, left messages on his website all sorts of things.
Finally he sent me an email about what he has been up too and explained
why he has been off the radar.
Whats Happenin'?
Well my story is gonna be a long bugger.
After a glorious star studded career in the ARMY where I met such
characters as Rip Rip and Squiggle I found coming back from overseas
had changed my perspective on army life. Having spent just 12 months
with a loaded weapon playing soldiers at Pucka didn't do it for
me anymore so I quit, a parting that I'm sure the ADF regretted.
I worked as security in the courts for a while going out to Pentridge
to pick up the crims and then guard them in the court room. It
wasn't too bad as most were on their best behaviour trying to get
a lighter sentence. Was an ok job but the pay was average so I
left and joined Telstra.
At Telstra I installed Foxtel and loved it, the
work was hard but I was basically my own boss. Moved from installing
to an area where all the prep work was done, loved this as well.
In fact it got me a month in Adelaide where I stayed with Mouse.
It was a grouse month.
Anyway Telstra decided it was too big and sacked
250 blokes with one weeks notice and of course I was one of the
250. In fact the whole crew I worked with got the chop. Did nothing
for three months then I got a call from Skilled engineering as
they had picked up the Optus Vision contract. When I went for the
interview all my old crew where there needless to say we all got
jobs.
So I was back to installing cable TV. Did this for another 18 months
or so when Skilled sacked the lot of us, 350 people with 24 hours
notice.
I then had 18 or so months doing cash in hand stuff, brickies
labouring, cutting the grass on median strips anything to bring
in some cash. Even got myself really fit again and reapplied to
join the Army. In their wisdom it didn't happen. Some government
ruling at the time about reenlistments.
I finally landed a job with Optus as a customer service rep. you
know the person you speak to when call about a bill, before it
all got shipped off to India.
What an eye opener this was, it was about 70% female
and of the 30% male most were gay (not that's anything wrong with
that). Took me forever to get used too but the job was easy and
the pay was good. Was there for two years before I saw an advert
for Customs.
Had no idea what Customs did really but applied anyway and still
don't know how but I got in. To give you an idea I started with
20 other people and I think I was the only one who didn't have
a Uni degree. Damn sure I was the only one who did year 10 twice
and quit school after failing year 11.
Have been with Custom now for over six years and
still enjoy it.
Now for the hard part, the last 14 months have
been a real shocker, it started around Xmas 2005. I had gotten
fat as all good public servants do (hit 100kg) and thought I had
done a hernia so went off the doctors to get it assessed and was
then told it was in fact a large tumour in my gut. It was actually
a tumour called a Sarcoma very similar to what Adam Ramanuskas
from Essendon had only mine was huge.
So in March 2006 I started
radiation therapy which was just brilliant stuff had 28 treatments
and felt crook as a dog for about eight weeks straight as a result.
I then had an operation to remove the tumour in June 2006 this
went OK but as it was attached to a muscle (transversus abdominus)
this was removed as well. Was bloody sore and stiff for about eight
weeks after this but slowly got moving again.
Got back to work in August 2006 and then got a
case of pneumonia which knocked me around for a few weeks. At this
time I also picked up a chest infection that I couldn't shake.
Anyway the chest infection persisted so I got a chest x-ray done
and bugger me if the tumour hadn't come back, this time in my right
lung.
Got admitted straight away to Footscray hospital
and had more scans done but no real answers. Was there for five
days before being transferred to Peter Mac (the cancer hospital
in Melbourne) was there less than four hours when a doctor came
down to explain what was going on. The tumour was another Sarcoma
now these are benign but can be very aggressive, because of where
mine is (the lung) it is also fatal. Mine cannot be cured. In fact
the speed with which mine was growing if it didn't react to the
Chemotherapy I have just been through I wouldn't be here now.
At
the moment I am as close to remission as I can get. The tumour
has shrunk a bit and more importantly stopped growing, I do have
other smaller tumours (one in my right lung and seven in my left)
but these are also under control. How long I stay like this is
like asking how long a piece of string is. I am on oxygen most
of the day but its no big deal I have portable air tanks if I want
to get out and about. I also have an all over Brazillian although
hair is now starting to grow back.
So hopefully I will be around for a while yet, get in touch, I
am a shocker for not replying etc but will do so if you email me. Jenko
Jenkos Photo Website - http://jenkostuff.smugmug.com/
Sophie - Jenkos partner is keeping this site up to date. She had to change the address but can now update it herself.
Simon!
