Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine Awarded the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Nov 18 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine Awarded the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was thirteen when he fought a battle most men twice his age would flinch from. A boy no taller than his rifle, charging forward into hell—grenades fan out at his feet. No hesitation. No thought beyond saving his brothers. He dove, covering not one but two grenades with his body. Flesh tore. Bones shattered. Still breathing. Still fighting. That moment forged a legacy written in blood and redemption.

The Man Behind the Medal

Born in 1928, Jacklyn Lucas grew up in Wyoming. Raised by a tough mother after his father died early, he absorbed lessons of grit and quiet faith. The Bible was more than words—it was a shield, a compass. Psalm 23 had guided him through childhood shadows. At twelve, inspired by stories of Marines and a restless soul, he tried to enlist. Rejected for being underage, he lied about his age and persistence paid off: he shipped out to war at thirteen.

His Marine Corps recruiters were startled but saw a steel in the boy’s eyes. He carried a warrior’s heart trapped in a child’s body. No fear. Only duty.

The Battle That Defined Him: Iwo Jima

February 1945. The Island of Iwo Jima. A furnace of fire, ash, and blood.

Lucas was a private in the 1st Marine Division. The Japanese fought with desperation. He and his unit advanced under relentless fire, dodging snipers, artillery, and a relentless enemy embedded deep in cave networks.

Amid the chaos, an enemy grenade landed among Lucas and two fellow Marines. In an instant no training teaches, he leapt onto the explosives, using his body as a shield. One grenade exploded beneath him, injuring him severely. Before he could even recover, a second grenade landed right beside them. Without hesitation, he flung himself onto it, absorbing the blast a second time.

Two grenades, two acts of sacrificial courage. Two wounds that nearly tore his life apart.

Suffering and Survival

Lucas was severely wounded—shrapnel tore through his chest and thighs, thousands of pieces lodged in flesh, nerves mangled, both lungs punctured. The medical teams doubted he would survive the night—let alone the war. But survival was his mission, now as fiercely fought as the battle itself.

While recovering, Lucas never lost sight of why he fought. His faith deepened with every agonizing step toward healing. He credited Psalm 118:17: “I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the LORD.” His story was bigger than himself. It was about the brothers saved by his sacrifice, about enduring a purpose forged in pain.

Recognition Earned in Blood

For his actions, Lucas became, at thirteen, the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor—awarded for "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty" in the face of the enemy. His citation highlighted that “Private Lucas’ selfless act undoubtedly saved the lives of two other Marines.”

His commanding officers spoke with reverence:

“Lucas’ courage was nothing short of superman. The young man has a warrior’s soul bonded to a child’s purity.”

Legacy is not just carved in medals but in respect earned.

Beyond the Battlefield: Lessons in Sacrifice and Redemption

Jacklyn Harold Lucas lived with scars, some seen, many hidden. But scars tell stories—of sacrifice, of faith, of resilience. He spent his later years speaking quietly about duty and the preciousness of life redeemed through service to something greater than self.

His story stands as a beacon. Courage is not the absence of fear but the decision to act despite it. Redemption is not just surviving the blast but living to tell the truth in raw, hard-earned faith.

To the warriors locked in their own wars—physical or spiritual—he offers this timeless truth:

“Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” —John 15:13

Jacklyn didn’t just shield his comrades from grenades; he shielded the hope that every broken soldier can rise again—bloodied, battered, but unbroken. That is a legacy worth fighting for.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, “Jacklyn Harold Lucas: Medal of Honor Recipient” 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citations: World War II 3. The Last Fighting Tommy: The Life of Jacklyn Harold Lucas by Peter Zimmek (2007) 4. Military Times, “Jacklyn Harold Lucas Biography and Awards”