Jan 01 , 2026
Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Marine Awarded Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima
Jacklyn Harold Lucas was a boy of seventeen when he bled for his nation in the battered sands of Iwo Jima. He was barely older than a child—yet when two grenades landed close to the foxhole he shared with Marines, Lucas did not hesitate. He threw himself onto those hellish lumps of metal, swallowing the blast with his body.
He saved others by sacrificing his own flesh and bone.
A Boy with a Soldier’s Heart
Born August 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Jacklyn Lucas carried a warrior’s fire early. He idolized Marines and lied about his age just to enlist.
Faith anchored him, solid as the rocks on those shattered beaches. Raised in a Baptist home, his mother’s prayers followed him across the ocean. He carried a Bible in his pocket, clinging tight to verses that whispered strength when the world burned around him.
Honor wasn’t just a word—it was the code he lived by.
“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13
The Battle That Defined Him: Iwo Jima, February 1945
The USS Deuel disgorged Lucas and his company onto the volcanic black sands of Iwo Jima’s Mount Suribachi. This island was hell carved in stone and fire. Japanese defenders had turned caves and ridges into death traps.
Lucas, assigned to 3rd Platoon, Easy Company, 1st Battalion, 27th Marines, fought that crucible amid exploding shells and choking smoke.
On February 20, the fury was personal. Two enemy grenades landed in the foxhole where Lucas crouched with his men.
Without thought, with the recklessness of a pure heart, he threw himself over them.
The first grenade exploded beneath his chest. The second tore into his stomach moments later.
He should have died there.
Instead, he survived, crippled by blast wounds but alive.
From the Medal of Honor citation:
“Through his extraordinary valor and spirit of self-sacrifice, he saved the lives of the Marines and Navy personnel in his foxhole at the cost of his own body… Despite wounds of the most grievous nature, he remained alert and courageous until the battle ended.”1
Honors Etched in Blood
Lucas was the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor. Barely 17 when the medals crossed his chest, his youth was swallowed in the shadow of war.
Additionally, he earned two Purple Hearts.
Marine Corps Commandant General Alexander Vandegrift noted,
"Young Lucas displayed leadership and courage that defied his age. His actions embody the highest traditions of the Corps."2
In less than a moment, Jacklyn Lucas became legend—bloodied but unbroken.
A Legacy Written in Sacrifice
Lucas’ story is not just about heroism—it’s a testament to the price of war and the weight of redemption.
He never sought glory.
His wounds never healed fully.
He carried those scars until his death in 2008.
But his sacrifice teaches the living what courage really means:
That true valor is the willingness to stand between hell and your brothers.
That sometimes the smallest warrior bears the heaviest cross.
His life serves as a vow—that freedom demands price, and it is paid in flesh and spirit.
In a world quick to forget, Jacklyn Lucas stands eternal.
_Every battle leaves a mark. Some marks are visible—shrapnel, scars, medals. Others are etched deeper._
Like Lucas, we are called to serve, sacrifice, and carry onward, no matter the cost.
“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9
Sources
1. U.S. Marine Corps, Medal of Honor citation for Jacklyn Harold Lucas, 1945. 2. Marine Corps Times, “Remembering Jacklyn Lucas,” July 2008, archival issue.
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