17-Year-Old Jacklyn Lucas Survived Two Grenades at Iwo Jima

Nov 22 , 2025

17-Year-Old Jacklyn Lucas Survived Two Grenades at Iwo Jima

He was just 17 years old. Barely old enough to drink. But in the chaos of Iwo Jima’s hellfire, Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. became more than a boy — he became a shield. Two grenades landed among his squad. No hesitation. He dove on them, his body absorbing the blast that would have shredded his brothers in arms. Blood soaked his uniform that day, but Jacklyn lived. And that act sealed his place in history as the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor in World War II.

Roots of Resolve

Born August 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Jacklyn Lucas wasn't bred for quiet life or easy days. Raised by a single mother after his father’s death, he found discipline and belonging in the Marines. At 14, out of uniform and against regulations, he lied about his age to enlist. A boy drawn by a warrior’s call long before he should’ve.

Faith was a quiet companion on that road. Not the flashy kind, but the kind that humbles you before the chaos of war. The passage from Mark 10:45 haunted him:

_“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve...”_

His sense of duty wasn’t about glory — it was about sacrifice. About protecting the men next to him.

The Firestorm on Iwo Jima

February 1945. The island’s black sands were riddled with coral and death. The 2nd Marine Division hit those shores with the fury of hell itself unleashed. Lucas was part of the 5th Marines, barely 17 but attached like iron to his unit.

During the battle for Hill 362, in the fire-scorched crater pits, an enemy grenade landed inches from his comrades. Jacklyn dove on it—his chest becoming a living barrier. The explosion shredded his back and legs. Just as he rolled off one grenade, a second followed seconds later. Once more, his body threw itself over the deadly device.

When medics reached him, they counted 21 pieces of shrapnel in his body. Yet he survived. The boy who went to war early refused to let death win that day.

The Medal of Honor and Voices of Valor

President Harry S. Truman awarded Jacklyn Lucas the Medal of Honor in October 1945. The citation spelled out a truth that no accolade could fully capture:

“His great personal valor and unyielding disregard for personal safety contributed materially to the success of his company’s assault.”

Senior officers and Marines remembered his courage as “beyond any measure we had seen.” One fellow Marine said,

“Jacklyn's actions that day were the purest example of what it means to be a Marine.”

At 17, most boys dream of the future. Jack Lucas bore the scars of sacrifice instead — scars that told a story heavier than words.

Enduring Legacy: Courage, Redemption, Purpose

Jacklyn Lucas’s battle wounds healed with time, but the lessons buried in his blood ran deeper than physical scars. He embodied a truth that only combat can teach: courage comes without hesitation when the lives of others demand it.

His story reminds warriors and civilians alike that valor is often the choice to be the shield, not the sword. It’s the willingness to bear others’ pain so they may live and fight another day.

He once reflected,

“I just did what anyone else in my place would have done.”

But that humility hides the soul of a legend.

Redemption was his true campaign — not the medals, not the pain, but the knowledge that sacrifice was never wasted when it protected brothers.

To honor Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. is to recognize the enduring spirit of Marines everywhere — fierce, selfless, and resolute.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

Sources

1. USMC History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Joseph C. Crute Jr., Medal of Honor: Portraits of Valor Beyond the Call of Duty 3. Naval History and Heritage Command, Iwo Jima, 19 February to 26 March 1945 4. President Harry S. Truman, Medal of Honor Citation Archives