“Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed” (Washington, 1901, p. 217).
As the most senior and final remaining civilian galley employee at Naval Hospital (NH) Jacksonville, Michael Jennings, more commonly known as Mr. J, has dedicated decades of support to our warfighters, veterans, and their families on the homefront.
Mr. J, a native of Jacksonville, Florida, was born into humble beginnings with challenges from the start. His welcome to the world was breech and twisted. He explained, “I was born backward, my leg was twisted, I had scoliosis, both shoulders were out of place, and there were issues with my eyes.” His warrior spirit from birth would be the fortitude needed to carry him through life.
As the baby of four siblings, Mr. J was raised until the young age of seven by his natural parents. His mother, Ethel Jennings, was a homemaker, and his father, William Jennings, served in the Army as a World War II pilot. “My mother passed from cancer when I was seven and shortly after that, my father left,” he shared. With only his siblings to rely on for care, authorities soon got involved, and here began the reign of staying in numerous foster homes until he was placed with a permanent family.
Although he stayed in contact with his birth family, Mr. J’s foster family came with new parents, a set of four new siblings, and a new way of life that included new obstacles.
With challenges around every corner, Mr. J persevered and by the time he entered junior high school in 1976, he began working with a summer youth program called the Red Caps which placed students in jobs for the summer. He continued working various summer jobs through high school.
It wasn’t long after graduating high school that Mr. J’s recurring health issues demanded attention. “I had to have surgery on my back and knee. Once I recovered, I hit the ground running and entered a community program, which led to a temporary position at the Navy Supply Center on Naval Air Station Jacksonville from 1984-1987. However, during the presidential term of former President Ronald W. Reagan, a wave of mass lay-offs hit, and I was let go,” Mr. J stated.
Not letting any grass grow under his feet, Mr. J landed a position with Coastal Plastics producing garbage bags until his friend’s father helped him land a job as a food service worker in the galley at NH Jacksonville in 1989.
As the decades passed, Mr. J saw the many changes in the structure and galley operations. Where civilians once manned the galley, service members took their place. He said, “This was civilian ran, but after the military took over the contract, civilians gradually disappeared - except for me.” The galley also went through a remodel from 1995-1997, and with the Navy obtaining the contract came a lot of evolving management styles and turnover.
In 2000, Mr. J was presented with an opportunity from his everyday tasks of “busting suds” and scrubbing floors. He expressed, “Lt. Rose, a galley dietician, presented me with the option to join the dietician side of operations. In this role, I would distribute and take orders for inpatients, prepare and deliver meals, and clean. I decided to take it!”
It is now nearly 35 and half years after Mr. J was first hired and he remains as lively and spirited as ever. When asked what his motivation was to continue along this path, he said, “I had to prove to people that I could make it.”
Today, he continues to fully embrace his role in the galley, backed by accolades and a history that proves his value.