Welcome home planned Sunday for Libby soldier

By GWEN ALBERS Western News Reporter

A "welcome home" for a Libby soldier injured in Iraq will be held 2 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 19, along Mineral Avenue.

"He's from Libby and he's been over there fighting. I think he should be honored," said Vicky Johnson-Harcourt, who is organizing the event for military police officer Specialist Scott Jenner.

A 2000 graduate of Libby High School, Jenner is the son of Vickie Jenner and the late Robert F. Jenner.

During his 14-month tour in Iraq, Jenner suffered severe cuts to his face this past summer. He was riding in a Humvee working as a gunner. The 24-year-old was cut by piano wire strung across an overpass by insurgents, his mother said.

"The wire caught him under the chin, it pushed his head back and cut him across the nose," Vickie Jenner said.

He did not need stitches and remained in Iraq until his tour ended. He returned to the United States on Nov. 2. Jenner will fly into Spokane from Fort Polk, La., on Saturday, Nov. 18.

Vickie Jenner, assistant manager at Town Pump at 200 E. Ninth St., had shared the stories about her son with Harcourt, a customer. Harcourt's daughter, Amanda, also went to high school with Scott Jenner.

"I would talk to Vickie and could see how worried she was about her son being over there," said Harcourt, owner of Rent Pro Property Management in Libby. "Having him wounded like that was really scary."

Vickie Jenner appreciates the effort.

"I really thought it would be fun to get a bunch of us together," she said.

Scott Jenner joined the Army in 2000 and began serving in February 2001. He served one year in Korea and another year in Hungary before going to Fort Polk.

In 2003, Scott Jenner went to Cuba and in 2004 returned to Fort Polk for training for Iraq. He will be home for 30 days and complete his time with the Army in February. He will not re-enlist.

"He will return to Libby for a short time and move to Boise," his mother said. "He hopes to get a job with security at the airport there."

Scott Jenner's siblings are Robert T. Jenner of Libby and Shannon Cowart of Niceville, Fla.