Jacklyn Lucas Survived Two Grenades at Iwo Jima as a 17-Year-Old

Dec 05 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas Survived Two Grenades at Iwo Jima as a 17-Year-Old

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was just seventeen when war carved its dreadful signature on his soul. Bloodied and bruised, he lay in a Philippine foxhole, his body slammed down on not one—but two live grenades. The explosion tore through the silence, but his sacrifice held. Two grenades detonated beneath him. Not one, but two. And he lived.

From Asheville to the Front Lines

Born in 1928 in North Carolina, Jack Lucas was a product of the Great Depression’s grit and an unyielding spirit forged in modest homes and church pews. Raised on scripture and hard work, faith ran deep. His mother’s prayers and his own stubborn courage drove him to lie about his age just to enlist in the Marines in 1942.

“I wanted to be where the fighting was,” he would say later.

The young Marine’s faith wasn’t just words. It was a code. A shield even tougher than Kevlar. Psalm 23, the Shepherd’s Psalm, was his anchor—through mud, blood, and fire.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

He wasn’t just chasing glory. He was answering a higher call.

A Fiery Baptism at Iwo Jima

February 1945. The volcanic island of Iwo Jima was a nightmare painted in black ash and flame. Jack Lucas, a Private First Class in the 1st Marine Division, was part of a wave of young leathernecks storming the volcanic sands. Every step forward was paid with blood.

The battle was chaos. Mortars screamed, machine guns stuttered.

Then it came. Two grenades tossed into his small foxhole—hell bearing down like an angel of death.

Without hesitation, Lucas threw himself onto the explosives. His body absorbed the blast, a living shield to save his fellow Marines—a squad of fourteen. He was riddled by more than 200 pieces of shrapnel.

Pain beyond words, but no fear.

This was the marrow of sacrifice—the line between life and death drawn in raw flesh and iron will.

Medal of Honor: The Nation’s Witness

For that moment, that act of blinding courage, Jack Lucas became the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor—still holding that grim, honored distinction. Just 17 years old.

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“Pfc. Lucas unhesitatingly hurled himself on the two grenades... His actions inspired the utmost admiration from all who witnessed.”[1]

General Alexander A. Vandegrift, Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, called Lucas' bravery a testament to the “unsurpassed valor and selflessness” of the Corps. Those words still echo, a salute to the boy who chose his brothers over himself.

Lucas survived but was left with lifelong scars both visible and hidden. Yet, he carried no bitterness—only a fierce resolve to honor those who did not make it.

What Courage Leaves Behind

Jack Lucas’ story is not just a tale of heroism. It is a brutal reminder of the cost of war and the weight carried by those who serve.

He once said:

“Every Marine who has stood in those foxholes shares the same scar, even if it’s not seen.”

His faith never wavered. After the war, Lucas devoted himself to helping others, teaching the new generations about service, sacrifice, and the true meaning of brotherhood.

Scars are not just wounds—they are badges etched by purpose.

This young Marine’s legacy is carved into every act of courage we witness today—those who choose others before themselves, who hold fast under fire, who walk through the valley of the shadow of death and do not fear.

In a world hungry for heroes, Lucas reminds us that true heroism is the willingness to bear the darkness for the light of others.

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

Sources

[1] U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Citation, Jacklyn H. Lucas. [2] James Bradley, Flags of Our Fathers, Bantam, 2000. [3] Marine Corps History Division, Iwo Jima Battle Reports, 1945.