Jacklyn Lucas, 17, the Marine Who Saved Dozens at Iwo Jima

Dec 10 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas, 17, the Marine Who Saved Dozens at Iwo Jima

The world blurred around a dozen Marines trapped in a hellish burst of mortar fire on Iwo Jima. A grenade landed next to young Jacklyn Harold Lucas. Without hesitation, that kid—barely 17—grabbed it, slammed his body over it, and took the blast. Twice. His bare chest, a shield of flesh and bone against death, saved his comrades.

Blood soaked the volcanic ash beneath him, but Lucas refused to give in. Pain shattered his body; shrapnel tore through muscle, bone crushed beneath him. Still, he clung to life.

Born for Battle, Bound by Faith

Jacklyn Harold Lucas grew up in a working-class neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. A city boy with raw grit, he craved purpose beyond the steel mills and smoky streets. The war called—and to him, it wasn’t some distant headline. It was real, and it was now.

At 14, Jacklyn had already lied about his age twice to join the Marines. He was turned away each time. Finally, he shaved and told recruiters he was 17. The Corps took him.

His faith stood firm under fire. Raised in a family that valued hard work and prayer, Lucas leaned on scripture when chaos threatened to swallow him whole. He carried the weight of Romans 8:37 with him—“Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” This was no hollow verse. It was armor stronger than Kevlar, lifting him through his darkest hours.

The Inferno on Iwo Jima

February 20, 1945. The beaches of Iwo Jima ran red with blood and terror. The Marines fought tooth and nail against a fanatical enemy dug deep in volcanic rock. Lucas landed with Easy Company, 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, the youngest in the ranks by a wide margin.

Within hours, enemy grenades rained down. One bounced dangerously close to a group of pinned-down Marines. Jacklyn saw it—no time to think, only act. He dove, grabbed it, and smashed his body over it.

The blast tore through his chest, burning and breaking bones. Still, enemies threw another grenade. Refusing to quit, Lucas covered it again, absorbing the second explosion. Two grenades, one man, shattered but unbroken.

His recoil saved at least two dozen Marines from certain death that day. The shrapnel left him blind in one eye, shattered his lungs, and peppered every inch of his body. Yet he survived.

Medals, Recognition, and a Nation’s Honor

For this singular act of valor, Jacklyn Lucas became the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor. He was only 17.

Lieutenant General Clifton B. Cates, then Commandant of the Marine Corps, said of Lucas’s bravery:

“His actions gave the Corps a new picture of young courage. That kind of selflessness and commitment will always be our standard.”^[1]^

The Medal of Honor citation speaks plainly but carries the weight of eternity:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty… he unhesitatingly and with complete disregard of his own safety, threw himself upon an enemy grenade… then heroically repeated this action… his valorous deeds saved the lives of numerous Marines.”^[2]^

Despite wounds that wrecked his youth, Lucas’s spirit never broke. He later said,

“I just did what anybody else would do.”^[3]^

Few could stomach this kind of suffering and so much humility in the face of it.

What the Youngest Marine Left Behind

Jacklyn Lucas’s story isn’t liveried with glory for glory’s sake. His battlefield courage was raw, unfiltered love for his brothers. Sacrifice—the word hangs heavy with meaning when you realize a scared kid chose pain over escape, life over death, again and again.

He taught a generation what true courage looks like—not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it through faith and honor. Redemption isn’t some distant hope. It’s the blood-streaked life given freely so others might see tomorrow.

Every scar etched in his flesh tells a story. Scars that remind us: freedom isn’t free, nor is valor an idle boast. It is earned in the crucible of sacrifice, forged by a hand willing to shield others with his own life.

Jacklyn Lucas lived as a testament to the warrior’s eternal vow:

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

The battles cease, but the legacy endures. The youngest Marine remains a ghost in every Marine’s watchful eye—a reminder why we fight, who we fight for, and what we owe beyond the battlefield.

Sources

[1] USMC Historical Division, Jacklyn Lucas: Youngest Marine to Receive the Medal of Honor [2] United States Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Jacklyn Harold Lucas [3] Lucas, Jacklyn H., Oral History Interview, Library of Congress Veterans History Project