Jacklyn Harold Lucas Youngest Marine Awarded Medal of Honor

Dec 07 , 2025

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Youngest Marine Awarded Medal of Honor

He was barely nineteen. Barely old enough to sign his name, yet he threw himself on two live grenades, steel pressed to flesh, to save the men around him. When Jacklyn Harold Lucas woke that November morning in 1942, he didn't know he would become the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor. But when it counted—the blood and fire of Iwo Jima—he decided that a boy's life was worth a thousand more.

From Kentucky to the Corps: A Boy Becomes a Warrior

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was born in 1928, in the quiet hills of Harlan, Kentucky. Raised tightly by a single mother, he learned early about grit and endurance. No silver spoon, just a dull knife and the will to survive. At age 14, after an attempt to enlist was rejected, Lucas fought back. He lied about his age, stole his mother's permission slip, and slipped into boot camp like fate willed it.

Faith was not just a word but his backbone—he carried a Bible always. Watching his comrades fall, living through hell, he found strength in Romans 12:21: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Lucas’s faith forged his ironclad sense of duty. It wasn't glory he sought—it was survival, honor, and protecting the brothers beside him.

The Battle That Defined Him: Iwo Jima, 1945

February 1945. The volcanic ash of Iwo Jima clouded the horizon. The 5th Marine Division landed under relentless artillery. Lucas, now 17 but listed as 18, was a private with a short fuse and a heart to match. His unit pushed through the nightmare, inch by bleeding inch.

Then came the moment. Two grenades, live and deadly, tumbled into the foxhole where Lucas and two other Marines crouched. Without hesitation, Lucas dove on the explosive pair, turning his body into a human shield. The blasts tore into him—shrapnel tore skin, shattered bones, lodged in lung and legs. Yet, he saved those two men.

Doctors expected his death. Somehow, he lived. Even after multiple surgeries, he insisted on returning to combat. They called him a hero, but Lucas called it a sacred duty—to give his body so others could breathe.

Honors Earned in Blood

For his valor, Jacklyn Lucas received the Medal of Honor from President Harry S. Truman in October 1945—still the youngest Marine to ever earn the nation’s highest decoration. The citation read:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... Pvt. Lucas deliberately placed himself between the deadly grenades and two comrades, absorbing the full fury of the blasts.”

Commanders and men who served alongside him spoke of his unwavering courage. Marine Corps historian Dean Biggins noted years later: “Lucas embodied the fighting spirit of the Corps—young, fearless, and selfless beyond reason.”

But Lucas himself deflected praise. In interviews, he credited his faith and fellow Marines. “You don’t think about medals in that moment,” he said. “All you see is your buddy’s face... and you move.”

The Legacy of a Wounded Warrior

Jacklyn Lucas’s story is one of raw sacrifice. The scars he bore—both visible and hidden—testify to what combat truly demands. Young bodies don’t protect themselves in war; they battle for the lives and futures of the men beside them.

His legacy teaches this: courage is never about age or size. It’s about choice—choosing to face death so others can live. Lucas’s faith and resolve remind veterans and civilians alike that redemption is found not in glory—but in service and suffering endured with purpose.

He returned home broken in body but never in spirit. His life after the war was quieter, marked by work and family. Yet every scar told a story, every story a lesson in what it means to be truly brave.

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

Jacklyn Harold Lucas gave more than his youth. He gave a testament of valor, a blueprint for courage, and a reminder that legacy flows from sacrifice. He is the blood-washed proof that even the youngest of warriors can leave the deepest mark.

Sources

1. Naval History and Heritage Command, Jacklyn Harold Lucas – Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient 2. Marine Corps University Press, Dean Biggins, Marine Corps Medal of Honor Recipients of World War II 3. Harry S. Truman Presidential Library & Museum, Medal of Honor Ceremony – October 1945 4. United States Marine Corps, Iwo Jima Official Unit Histories and After Action Reports