Jacklyn Lucas, Iwo Jima Teen and Youngest WWII Medal of Honor Recipien

Jan 27 , 2026

Jacklyn Lucas, Iwo Jima Teen and Youngest WWII Medal of Honor Recipient

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was just 14 when war tore him from childhood and thrust him into hell. Desert swells of Iwo Jima. The smell of burning flesh. The clang of metal on coral rock. And in the chaos—two grenades landing inches from his squad—he did what no kid should ever have to do. He threw himself on those grenades. Twice. With his bare chest. Saving lives at the cost of his own skin.

A Boy Soldier’s Faith and Fire

Born in 1928 in North Carolina, Jacklyn grew up in a house where faith was as real as the soil beneath his feet. Baptized in a small Baptist church, he learned early that life demanded courage—and that God’s grace was earned in sweat and sacrifice.

At 13, he lied about his age to enlist in the Marines. Too young to fight, too stubborn to wait. His reasoning wasn’t glory but duty—a calling etched in scripture and blood.

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

This verse was more than words; it was the creed he lived by that day in Iwo Jima.

The Battle That Defined Him

February 20, 1945. The beaches of Iwo Jima were a furnace. The island had already chewed up thousands of Marines, turning brave lads into shadows. The 5th Marine Division landed with the weight of the war on their shoulders. Among them, a 17-year-old Jack Lucas—fresh, green, but iron-willed.

His patrol was pinned down by relentless Japanese fire amidst the black volcanic ash. Suddenly, two enemy grenades landed in the foxhole where he crouched with his fellow Marines.

Without hesitation, Jack threw himself onto the grenades—one after the other—absorbing the blasts with his body. Miraculously alive but badly wounded, he saved the lives of at least three of his comrades.

The toll was brutal—he lost most of his skin from his face, chest, and hands. His muscles were shattered. But he didn’t waver. He quietly endured hours of pain while medics scrambled to save him.

Recognition Steeped in Honor

Jacklyn Lucas became the youngest Marine—and the youngest Medal of Honor recipient—in World War II. President Harry S. Truman pinned the medal on his chest on May 8, 1945.

The citation reads:

“At the cost of extreme pain and personal injury, he deliberately placed himself between his comrades and the hostile grenades, absorbing the contact and explosion of two enemy grenades. His unhesitating courage saved the lives of those in the small foxhole.”¹

His heroes’ welcome was muted, shadowed by his severe injuries and youth. But commanders and comrades alike recognized his rare grit.

General Lemuel Shepherd Jr., Commandant of the Marine Corps (later), called him an example of “selfless devotion to duty.”

A Legacy Forged in Fire and Grace

Jack Lucas’s story doesn’t end in the mud and blood of Iwo Jima. He fought the painful road of recovery for years, battling scars both visible and unseen.

His survival was a testament to God’s mercy and human tenacity. A reminder that true valor means choosing to protect others, even when the odds are death.

He later said:

“I didn’t think—I just reacted, out of instinct and love for my buddies.”

His bravery reminds every soldier what it means to sacrifice without hesitation. His life is a beacon for warriors who carry invisible wounds—proof that honor endures beyond the battlefield.

“The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer.” — Psalm 18:2

Jacklyn Harold Lucas showed us that true strength is born from faith and sacrifice. That courage is more than muscle; it’s heart and soul laid on the line.

He stood in the flame and did not falter. We carry his legacy in every battle we face—inside and out.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps - Medal of Honor Citation, Jacklyn Harold Lucas 2. Steve Sheinkin, The Port Chicago 50: Disaster, Mutiny, and the Fight for Civil Rights (Science and Military context) 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society - Archive, Jacklyn Lucas Profile