Jacklyn Harold Lucas Teen Marine Awarded Medal of Honor for Iwo Jima

Jan 18 , 2026

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Teen Marine Awarded Medal of Honor for Iwo Jima

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was sixteen years old when the earth around him exploded. Grenades rained like hell. Without hesitation, he dove—twice—onto those deadly orbs, saving the men beside him with nothing but sheer guts and bone. Blood soaked through his uniform but so did something fiercer: the unbreakable will to live and protect.

Born for Battle, Raised for Honor

Jacklyn grew up in Plymouth, North Carolina, a town coddled by hardship and grit. The son of a Marine League member, the duty to serve was injected in his blood early. At fifteen, he lied about his age to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve. No boy, that one—a warrior forged in the fire of necessity and youthful defiance.

Faith was quiet but steady in Lucas's life. He once confided that his actions were not just about survival or bravery, but about a calling bigger than himself—a redemption found in sacrifice. His code was clear: protect your brothers, no matter the cost. As Hebrews 13:16 was etched in his spirit, "Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God."

The Battle That Defined Him: Iwo Jima, February 20, 1945

On the blackened sands of Iwo Jima, Lucas found his destiny. The island was hell on Earth—lava fields, razor-sharp rocks, and Japanese defenses carved from volcanic ash. His unit was pinned down by grenades lobbed from close quarters.

When two enemy grenades fell near his position, Jacklyn didn’t hesitate. He threw himself on top of one grenade, absorbing the explosion with his body. Still conscious, he spotted a second grenade landing in the same spot and—without rest—he covered that one too.

Both blasts tore into his chest and legs, shattering ribs, knifing his lung, and mangling flesh. Yet, Lucas held on. As he later said in his Medal of Honor testimony, “I figured it was better me than one of them guys.”

Medal of Honor: Blood-Stained Valor

At 17, Jacklyn Harold Lucas became the youngest Marine in history awarded the Medal of Honor. He was awarded for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of life above and beyond the call of duty. His citation confirmed what his comrades witnessed: an iron resolve in the face of certain death.

Major General Clifton B. Cates, who would later become Marine Corps Commandant, praised Lucas’s act as “an example of extraordinary youthful valor that would inspire Marines for generations.” Fellow Marines remembered him as “a kid with the heart of a lion.”

Lucas also received the Purple Heart—twice, for wounds sustained in that single act.

Legacy Written in Sacrifice

Jacklyn Lucas survived the war but carried his scars for life—both visible and unseen. He remained a reminder of what true courage looks like: sacrifice without hesitation, love beyond self, and faith that lift men from mortal peril into something holy.

His story is more than a legend; it’s a blueprint for warriors and civilians alike—that in the darkest moments, when death presses close, the choice to protect one another defines us. Not the bullets or bloodshed, but the enduring flame of brotherhood.

Luke 9:24 resonates across his story: “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Jacklyn’s journey didn’t end on that Pacific island. It continues in every veteran’s footsteps and every act of quiet sacrifice, reminding us that valor isn’t born in comfort—it’s forged in fire.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division + Medal of Honor citation for Jacklyn Harold Lucas 2. "Unlikely Hero: The Life of Jacklyn Harold Lucas" by Thomas W. Wallner, Naval Institute Press 3. Marine Corps Gazette + “Youngest Marine Medal of Honor Recipient Recalls Iwo Jima” interview, 1985