Jacklyn H. Lucas, youngest Marine to earn Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Oct 08 , 2025

Jacklyn H. Lucas, youngest Marine to earn Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Jacklyn H. Lucas was seventeen years old the day he did the unthinkable. Amid the chaos of Iwo Jima, grenades rained down like death itself, and he threw his body onto two of them—twice—shielding his brothers from shrapnel and fire. Every second felt endless. Every breath stolen. He survived because he refused to die for himself alone.

Boy from Kentucky, Soldier of Faith

Born in Plymouth, North Carolina, but raised in West Virginia, Lucas was a kid forged in blue-collar grit. Not an easy path—no safety nets, just hard work, faith, and a hunger to serve. At 14, he lied about his age to enlist. The Marine Corps never gets a teenage punk without blood and pain.

Faith ran beneath his actions, a quiet backbone. His mother insisted on scripture, grounding a furious young man who wanted to prove himself. The words of Psalm 23 stayed close: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” Lucas would walk that valley many times, eyes wide open.

The Battle That Defined Him

February 20, 1945. Iwo Jima. The fight had been relentless—volcanoes, smoke, flame, dust choking the air. The objective was clear: secure the island to support bombing runs over Japan. Blood and guts lined every trench and crater.

Lucas was with the 5th Marine Division, attached as a replacement. Under fire, grenades bounced dangerously close. One in the foxhole. Without hesitation, he dove atop it, absorbing the blast. Moments later, a second grenade in the same hole. He threw himself on it again.

Wounded by shrapnel, burns, and debris, Lucas lived. His actions saved at least two fellow Marines. When asked later about it, he said, “I didn’t even think about the grenades. I just did what I had to do.”

Medal of Honor: Youngest Marine to Earn It

At 17 years old, Jacklyn H. Lucas became the youngest Marine decorated with the Medal of Honor in WWII. His citation captures the brutal clarity of his sacrifice:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty. When two enemy grenades were thrown into his foxhole, he immediately threw himself on the grenades, absorbing the full force of the explosions.

Leaders spoke of his “courage beyond measure,” but Lucas deflected, saying, “I just wanted my guys to live.” His awarded Purple Hearts and Presidential Unit Citation matched the scars and stories carried silently. Commanders in the 5th Marine Division knew this was a rare breed.

Legacy Carved in Flesh and Spirit

Jacklyn H. Lucas’ story is not just about youthful bravado or reckless bravery. It is about relentless commitment to the brotherhood. About a young man willing to bear the worst of war’s flames so others could fight another day.

His survival was a miracle and a message: True courage is born from love, not fear. The boy who lied about his age taught a nation the cost of freedom and the power of sacrifice.

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

Lucas lived decades beyond Iwo, carrying stories in his limbs, reminding all who heard them that valor has a sacred weight—not glamorous, not easy, but necessary. His legacy is a call to honor those who carry unseen wounds, those whose battle did not end on the field, but continues in everyday life.

Today, when the world softens and forgets, the grit of Marines like Jacklyn H. Lucas arrests history’s flow. His sacrifice is a permanent scar on the face of tyranny and a beacon for every fighter who ever dared to stand and say: Not on my watch.