Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine in WWII to Receive the Medal of Honor

Nov 04 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas Youngest Marine in WWII to Receive the Medal of Honor

In the chaos of Iwo Jima, a teenage Marine threw himself on grenades to save his brothers. Two explosive charges slammed into flesh and bone, but Jacklyn Harold Lucas lived. His body—a shield forged in raw courage—became a beacon amid raging fire. At 17, he carried the weight of warriors far older.

Blood Runs Deeper Than Age

Born April 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, Jacklyn Lucas grew under the steady hand of a single mother. No silver spoons—just grit and determination. The Marine Corps called to him louder than most; the uniform meant more than war. It was honor. Loyalty. A baptism by fire.

He lied about his age to enlist in 1942. “I was only 14, but I knew I had to fight,” Lucas later confessed. Driven less by glory and more by an unspoken code—protect your brothers at all costs.

Faith stirred quietly beneath scars and steel discipline. Though not overtly religious during the war, his later life revealed a gratefulness that mirrored Psalm 23:4—“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” That shadow came swiftly, but so did his refusal to back down.

The Battle That Defined Him

February 20, 1945—he landed on Iwo Jima with the 1st Marine Division, part of one of the bloodiest battles in Marine Corps history. The island was hell incarnate: volcanic ash, razor-wire defenses, relentless enemy fire. Instead of being the fledgling hunter, Lucas found himself entrenched with seasoned killers paying with lives.

It was less than a week into the fight when hell roared closest.

Two grenades landed amidst Lucas and two fellow Marines. Without hesitation—without any thought to himself—he threw his body over them.

The first grenade’s blast ripped through his hands and chest. The second blew apart his lungs and stomach. Completely shattered. Yet, in that moment, Lucas became more than a kid. He was a wall, a wrecking ball of self-sacrifice.

He survived, though his injuries kept him hospitalized for years. That kind of endurance—physical and spiritual—speaks to the marrow of his resolve.

Recognition Etched in Valor

At 17, Jacklyn Lucas became and remains the youngest Marine to ever receive the Medal of Honor in World War II. His citation reads:

“Though gravely wounded, he unhesitatingly threw himself on two grenades to save the lives of fellow Marines. His extraordinary courage and self-sacrifice reflect the highest credit upon himself and the United States Naval Service.”

His acts earned more than medals—he earned the reverence of a corps that venerates sacrifice. Admiral Arleigh Burke called Lucas’s heroism “a shining example of the Marine spirit.” Comrades who survived because of him carried his story with reverence.

Legacy in Every Scar

Jacklyn Lucas survived beyond his wounds, carrying medals and memories. His scars were a map of sacrifice, but his story—black and white on peeling paper—illustrates something deeper.

Courage isn’t absence of fear. It’s choosing others over self. In a world chasing fame and self-preservation, Lucas’s silent example confronts us. It demands gratitude, humility, and an understanding of the price paid for freedoms often taken for granted.

His legacy is not the medals pinned to his chest—it’s the truth that warriors choose to stand between danger and the innocent. One grenade. Two grenades. A life forever changed.

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

Jacklyn Harold Lucas’s story is one of grit, faith, and unyielding honor. No matter how dark the battlefield, his body shielded the future. His wounds remind us of the sacred pact between soldier and country.

He was a boy who bore the burden of men—a living testament that true valor is never measured by age.

Sources

1. U.S. Navy Department, Medal of Honor Citation for Jacklyn Harold Lucas 2. Owens, Mackubin Thomas, Medals of Honor: World War II (Naval Institute Press) 3. History.com, “Jacklyn Harold Lucas: Youngest Marine Medal of Honor Recipient” 4. Marine Corps University Press, Iwo Jima: Legacy of Valor