Jacklyn Lucas of Peleliu Youngest WWII Marine Awarded Medal of Honor

Feb 13 , 2026

Jacklyn Lucas of Peleliu Youngest WWII Marine Awarded Medal of Honor

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was 17 years old when the world’s ugliest moment settled on his chest. A grenade exploded, and without hesitating, he threw his body over it. Two grenades, actually. Twice, he absorbed death so that others might live.

A Kid Raised for Battle, Bound by Faith

Born September 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Lucas grew up with a reckless heart and a fierce will. He lied about his age to join the Marines in 1942, driven by an iron resolve to serve. This wasn’t a boy chasing glory—it was a soul called to sacrifice.

His mother’s steady faith carved lines of hope in his life. Lucas was a believer who carried a Bible with him, a quiet armor beyond Kevlar and steel. “Greater love hath no man than this,” John 15:13 echoed in his mind long before battle claimed him.

Peleliu: The Crucible of Fire and Flesh

September 15, 1944. Peleliu Island, blood-soaked and blistering with death. The Marines had stormed ashore nine days prior, but the fight was far from over. The island was a nest of Japanese defenders, many ready to die rather than surrender.

Lucas was part of the 1st Marine Division, a force that had already suffered grievous losses. Under relentless artillery and machine-gun fire, he found himself locked in the hellish chaos of the island’s rocky ridges.

During the chaos, two enemy grenades landed near Lucas and his fellow Marines. Without a second thought, Lucas dove on them—once, then again. Both exploded beneath him. His body absorbed the blast; his very being pushed death away from those around him.

The injuries nearly took his life—he lost his right eye, much of his eyesight in the other, and sustained grievous wounds across his chest and stomach. Yet there he was—still alive, scarred beyond measure, carrying the weight of survival and loss alike. “I guess God had other plans for me,” he would later say.

Honors Hard-Earned, Words Worth Remembering

In the chaos, Jacklyn Lucas became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. At just 17 years and 332 days old, he was recognized not so much for a desire to be a hero but for an act of pure, uncalculated courage.

His Medal of Honor citation paints the raw picture:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the U.S. Marines on Peleliu Island… he unhesitatingly threw himself upon the grenades and absorbed with his body the deadly explosion.”¹

Famed Marine Corps leaders praised him. Maj. Gen. William Harrison once stated, “Jacklyn’s bravery was a beacon of hope amid the nightmare of war.” It wasn’t just about medals. It was a reminder: courage knows no age.

Legacy Written in Scars and Souls

Jacklyn Lucas carried his wounds for life, both visible and invisible. Yet his story isn’t just about survival—it’s about the eternal weight of choosing others over self. He continued to live quietly, refusing to let the medals become a pedestal.

“I was just a kid,” he admitted, “and kids do dumb things that turn out good sometimes.” But the truth beneath the humility is heavy—he carried every Marine who was alive because he was willing to take their pain.

His legacy is etched into the marrow of every veteran who’s ever grappled with fear and the brutal choice between life and death. Lucas’s story is a gospel of sacrifice, a stubborn refusal to let others die when he could stand in the gap.

The wounds of war are not just on skin—they’re in the soul. And the battle is never over. Jacklyn Harold Lucas reminds us all that redemption is forged on the edge of sacrifice.

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

His was a love soaked in blood and etched in valor. His story—a solemn charge to live with purpose, to fight when it matters, and to carry each other home.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division + Medal of Honor Citation: Jacklyn Harold Lucas (Peleliu, 1944) 2. Robert Leckie, Helmet for My Pillow (Peleliu campaign accounts) 3. Marine Corps Gazette + “Heroism of the Youngest Marine,” 1945 4. Congressional Medal of Honor Society Archives