Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine and Medal of Honor Recipient at Iwo Jima

Dec 19 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine and Medal of Honor Recipient at Iwo Jima

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. was barely 17 when the fires of Iwo Jima tore through the Pacific night. A kid with no business in Hell’s shadows, but there he was—charging forward, fueled by steel and a young soul’s grit. When two grenades fell among his friends, Jacklyn did what no one else could. He threw himself on those shrieking bombs, a human shield of flesh and bone, absorbing the blast with a heart bigger than the war itself.

A Boy, A Marine, A Testament of Faith

Jacklyn came from North Carolina, where dirt roads and church pews framed his childhood. Raised on the Bible and the hard lessons of small-town America, he believed in something larger than himself. A quote from Psalm 23 rang clear in those early years: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” That wasn’t just Sunday talk. That was armor forged by faith.

He lied about his age to enlist in the Marine Corps Reserve in 1942. The military wouldn't take him. Again and again, he tried. His persistence burned like a flare—he was determined to stand with the men fighting the Empire of Japan, to prove his worth not with years but with valor.

The Battle That Defined Him

February 20, 1945. Iwo Jima. The ground was volcanic rock and raw smoke. The Marines clawed through hell. Jacklyn was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division. Just hours into the landing, fate carved his name into the annals of valor.

Two grenades landed by his foxhole. No hesitation. He called out—“I’m hit! Get back!”—then dove on the deadly metal spheres. The explosions ripped through his body. Both thighs shattered, his body scorched. A third grenade landed close—a Marine behind him pushed Jacklyn aside, taking the new blast.

He survived. But this was no miracle of luck. It was the consequence of a choice—a fearless, God-blessed sacrifice.

Recognition Beyond Words

Jacklyn Lucas became the youngest Marine—and the youngest Medal of Honor recipient—in World War II. The citation left no room for doubt:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty... unhesitatingly threw himself on two grenades to save the lives of his fellow Marines.”¹

He didn’t seek glory, only survival, and the chance to keep fighting for what he believed.

General Alexander Vandegrift said of the Medal of Honor winner, “Jacklyn Lucas displays the kind of courage and selflessness we seek in every Marine.”²

But Lucas carried scars—both visible and buried. The weight of war is not measured in medals but in nights haunted by sound and fury. His survival was a quiet testament to pain and redemption.

The Legacy of a Living Hero

Jacklyn’s story isn’t just about a boy who covered grenades with his body. It’s about the essence of sacrifice and faith standing shoulder to shoulder. His life reminds us that courage often wears the face of youth, unburdened by doubt. The youngest Marine didn’t just survive because of his armor but because of his heart—a heart beating with divine purpose.

His wounds never fully healed, but neither did his resolve. He returned to serve, to build, to teach. He carried a message that transcended war: sacrifice is sacred, redemption real, and legacy forged in the furnace of suffering.

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

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. stood where the fiery storms raged and chose to bear the weight no one else could. His scars speak gospel truths—a raw, unvarnished testament to the warrior’s path. In his sacrifice, the fallen found shelter. In his survival, the living found hope.

This is why we remember. This is why we honor.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. John F. Schmitt, Iwo Jima Medal of Honor Recipients: The Stories of Courage and Sacrifice (Naval Institute Press)