Image from film found 60 years after Jerry’s death
Jerry was killed on March 16, 1966. Shortly after, the U.S. Army sent two trunks containing his personal belongings to my grandparents’ home. They placed those trunks in a closet, where they remained—unopened—for nearly 30 years.
After my grandparents passed away, my mother, Judy (Lewis) King, took possession of them. The trunks moved to a different closet, where they sat for another three decades. It wasn’t until the fall of 2025, when I began heavily researching Jerry’s military service, that my mom mentioned them: “Well, you should probably look at his trunks.”
I had no idea they even existed. Taking custody of them has revealed a side of my uncle that has stayed in the dark for far too long. As noted in the “About Jerry” section of this site, Jerry developed a passion for photography in high school, even building a darkroom in the family home. He clearly kept that “photography bug” in the Army; inside one of the trunks, I discovered a high-end camera alongside a significant collection of film and negatives.
These photographs of Germany, taken 60 years ago, had never been seen by our family. Using specialized equipment, we digitized the negatives to bring his perspective back to life. I have organized these into two galleries: Training and Touring Germany. It’s clear that Jerry made the most of his time abroad, documenting the sites, attending parties, and enjoying his free time with his brothers-in-arms.
A Note on the Training: During Jerry’s time in Nellingen, his unit was a provisional element of the VII Corps, Company C—the very first LRRPs in the Army. There is much more to come on this historic unit soon.