Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Marine Awarded the Medal of Honor at Okinawa

Jan 19 , 2026

Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Marine Awarded the Medal of Honor at Okinawa

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was eighteen years old, barely more than a boy, when the roar of grenades tore through the humid Okinawan air. Two live enemy grenades landed nearby, primed to shred the squad to pieces. Without hesitation, Lucas threw himself on the deadly spheres, his body a shield against certain death. He absorbed the blast to save those around him—twice.

A Boy From North Carolina with Fire in His Soul

Born in 1928, Jacklyn Lucas came from the small town of Plymouth, North Carolina. Raised in a working-class home, he was grounded by the sturdy values of faith and discipline. As a boy, he admired the men in uniform—not for glory, but for duty. The Marine Corps Corps hymn became a whispered prayer in the back of his mind: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the shores of Tripoli…”

Lucas was baptized in earnestness, carrying a quiet, steadfast faith that molded his character. The Bible taught him about sacrifice and strength, drawing from Hebrews 12:1—“let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” That endurance would soon be tested in hellish ways no eighteen-year-old should face.

He lied about his age to enlist. He was 14 when he first raised his hand—but the Corps wanted him older. He tried again after turning 15, then at 16. Finally, at 17, signed by his mother, he shipped out. He didn’t wait for permission—he chased purpose.

The Battle That Defined Him: Okinawa, April 1945

The Battle of Okinawa: the war’s last brutal gate before Japan’s home islands. The bloodiest Pacific clash. The enemy was dug deep, fanatical and relentless.

Lucas was a private, assigned to the 1st Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. Less than a month after landing, on April 7, 1945, his unit was pushing through steep cliffs and fortified caves riddled with Japanese defenders.

Suddenly, an enemy grenade landed among a group of Marines. Time froze in the smoke and shriek of artillery. Lucas dove on the grenade, pulling it close under his body. The blast tore through the flesh on his torso and thighs. Unflinching, he knew the threat wasn’t over.

Moments later, another grenade landed. Without thought for his agony, Lucas covered this second grenade too. Both blasts killed and wounded him severely. His chest was shattered, lungs punctured, and much of his body ravaged by shrapnel.

Medics found him unconscious, bleeding out. His survival was a testament to sheer will—and divine intervention.

Medal of Honor: Courage Etched in Flesh and Fire

Lucas became the youngest Marine in American history to receive the Medal of Honor—17 years old. His Silver Star and Purple Heart accompanied the nation’s highest valor decoration. President Harry S. Truman pinned the Medal on Lucas personally in 1945.

The Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while serving with the First Battalion, Seventh Marines. Private Lucas fearlessly threw himself on these two grenades, absorbing the full burst of both explosions and saving the lives of his comrades at the imminent risk of his own life.”

Fellow Marines recalled Lucas’s steel resolve.

“I’ve never seen a man so young with such guts. He never hesitated,” said Gunnery Sergeant Frank Willis^1.

Lucas didn’t see himself as a hero. His faith kept him humble. He credited a higher power for pulling him through.

Legacy Written in Sacrifice and Redemption

Lucas survived his wounds against all odds, but the war’s scars never fully left him. He continued in service, retiring in 1967 as a Master Sergeant.

His story challenges the cheap narratives of heroism. Courage isn’t glamorous. It’s searing pain. It’s the moment you choose others over yourself despite every instinct screaming survival. It’s the blood in your lungs and the grit in your soul.

Jacklyn Lucas showed us the cost of true sacrifice—one man’s bare body could deflect death. His legacy stands not just for valor on the battlefield, but for the enduring fight inside every soldier—to live worthy of those who never returned.

The Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 8:37:

“No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”

Lucas was a conqueror—not because he sought battle, but because he bore the cross of it. And when the dust settles, that is the mark of all warriors: to stand scarred, faithful, and unbroken.

His story demands we remember every veteran carries such a burden. Honor it. Learn from it. Live beyond it.

Sources

1. U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. HarperCollins, Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient: The Story of Jacklyn Lucas by Robert R. Searcy 3. National Archives, Marine Corps Muster Rolls and WWII Personnel Records 4. Truman Library, Medal of Honor Ceremony Transcripts, 1945