Jacklyn Harold Lucas, Youngest Marine Medal of Honor Recipient

Jan 05 , 2026

Jacklyn Harold Lucas, Youngest Marine Medal of Honor Recipient

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was a boy with fire in his eyes and steel in his bones. At just 14 years old, he demanded to serve his country, swallowing the bitter pill of underage enlistment with a forged birth certificate. In a storm of chaos and smoke on Iwo Jima, he threw his body on two live grenades — twice — saving his Marines from death. That moment forged a legend. He was the youngest Marine to earn the Medal of Honor in World War II.

A Soldier Born of Grit and Belief

Born August 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Lucas came from humble roots. His childhood was shaped by hardship — early responsibility, a relentless spirit, and a hunger to belong to something greater. But it wasn’t just patriotism driving him. It was faith.

“I wanted to take the fight to the enemy, to protect my brothers,” Lucas later said. And so, with the Bible’s verses etched in memory, he carried a quiet code of honor onto the battlefield.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

This scripture wasn’t just words leaned on in quiet moments. It was a battle cry pulsing through his veins when the bullets rained down.

The Battle That Tested the Youngest Heart

February 1945. Iwo Jima’s black volcanic sands were soaked in carnage. Lucas’s unit landed on the beachhead under brutal fire. Mortars exploded. Machine guns sprayed death around every corner.

Then it happened. Two enemy grenades landed where Lucas and his fellow Marines huddled. Without hesitation, he threw himself on the first grenade as it detonated. Severely wounded, refusing to quit, he did it again with the second grenade. The blasts tore flesh and shattered bones. His body was a shield, his sacrifice unflinching.

He was rushed to a field hospital with shrapnel embedded in his face, chest, and arms. His hands were mangled, nearly lost. But his spirit remained unbroken.

His commanding officers witnessed a boy turned warrior. “Jacklyn’s actions saved countless lives that day,” Capt. Frank Leisz of 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, later affirmed.

Recognition Etched in Valor

For his extraordinary heroism, Jacklyn Lucas received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman in 1945. At 17, he became the youngest Marine — and youngest serviceman in U.S. history — awarded this highest military decoration.

His official citation made it clear:

“Private First Class Lucas saved the lives of two fellow Marines by unhesitatingly throwing himself on two enemy hand grenades, absorbing the explosions with his own body.”

He also earned the Purple Heart with two Gold Stars. His wounds ended his combat career, but not his commitment.

When Truman pinned the medal, Lucas didn’t see a boy’s prize. He saw the faces of those he saved.

“I didn’t think I was smart or big or strong enough,” Lucas reflected, “but I knew those guys were counting on me.”

Legacy Beyond the Medal

Jacklyn Harold Lucas carried his scars like a testament — reminders of brutal sacrifice and exquisite grace under fire. He lived decades beyond war, carrying the burden and blessing of his story.

His courage teaches us something fierce and raw: Heroism isn’t measured by age or size — but by the will to place others above yourself, even in hell.

The battlefield doesn’t care how old you are. It demands everything. It offers redemption in the blood and fire.

Lucas once said, “I got no regrets. If I had to do it again, I’d do it.” That unflinching solemnity — that’s the heart of a warrior touched by something greater than fear.

Wake up to that truth: sacrifice carves legacies. Redemption walks hand-in-hand with scars. The flame that burned in Lucas’s young heart still ignites in every Marine who knows the cost and blessing of battle.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

Jacklyn Harold Lucas lived that verse with every breath and every broken limb. And so must we.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Walter R. Borneman, The Admirals: Nimitz, Halsey, Leahy, and King—The Five-Star Admirals Who Won the War at Sea (2012) 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Jacklyn Harold Lucas Citation and Biography 4. Harry S. Truman Library & Museum, Medal of Honor Ceremony Transcript