Jacklyn Lucas, Peleliu Hero and Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient

Oct 09 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas, Peleliu Hero and Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was thirteen years old when he threw himself on two grenades to save his fellow Marines. Two. Blown apart by exploding death inches from his body, yet still alive. To survive that and stand tall—that’s not luck. That’s grit. That’s raw courage carved from the hell of war.

Boy to Marine: Born for Battle

Born April 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Jacklyn Lucas grew up scrappy, restless, hungry for purpose. A child with fire in his eyes, not just mischief. His mother once said, “He was always the toughest kid you’d ever meet.”

Too young to enlist, he lied about his age—he wanted in. The Corps accepted him when he was 14, the youngest Marine ever.[1] His faith wasn’t flashy, but solid—a grounding force that whispered courage when the world screamed chaos. Scripture wasn’t just words: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13) He lived that.

Peleliu: The Bloodied Crucible

September 15, 1944. Peleliu Island, a volcanic hellscape blasted beyond recognition. The 7th Marines stormed the beach under a sky raining lead and fire.

Lucas, attached to 1st Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, was already wounded—not once, but twice—as mortar shrapnel tore through his legs. Blood mixed with mud. Pain screamed. But he kept fighting.

Then the grenades landed—two enemy grenades landed amid his squad. Time slowed. No hesitation. Without a word, Lucas dove, pulled the grenades under his body, absorbing the explosions.

He woke to pain so fierce it should’ve killed him. Miraculously alive, though scorched and shattered. His actions saved at least a dozen Marines right then.[2]

Medal of Honor: Valor Etched in Flesh

For his selfless act, Lucas received the Medal of Honor, the youngest Marine ever awarded, in 1945. President Harry Truman pinned it on him.

His citation reads:

For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... Pinned down by heavy enemy fire, he hurled himself upon two grenades and absorbed the full blasts with his own body.

General Alexander A. Vandegrift called him “a boy with the heart of a lion.” A legend born in fire and pain.

Lucas survived 21 surgeries to repair his shattered body.[3] Not many walk away from Peleliu. Not many live to tell the story. Yet he carried the weight of his sacrifice with silent dignity.

Legacy: The Measure of True Courage

Jacklyn Lucas didn’t just endure pain; he transformed it. The scars etched on his flesh bore witness to a fearless spirit. His story reminds every veteran that valor looks like sacrifice—sometimes young, sometimes unsung, but always profound.

He once said, “A man’s not old until regrets bury him.” Lucas carried no regrets. Instead, he bore witness to a higher calling—the sacred duty to stand in the gap, no matter the cost.

In a world starving for examples of courage that rise beyond the headlines, Lucas offers a blueprint: courage is choice, forged in fire, wrapped in faith, carved out by sacrifice—and redemption waits on the other side.

“Fear not: for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God…” (Isaiah 41:10)

Jacklyn Harold Lucas—wounded, scarred, alive—and forever a brother shielded by honor and grace.

Sources

[1] Marine Corps History Division, Jacklyn Harold Lucas, USMC: Youngest Marine Medal of Honor Recipient [2] United States Army Center of Military History, Peleliu Campaign, 1944 [3] Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Harold Jacklyn Lucas Citation and Biography