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

Nov 05 , 2025

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

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was fifteen when hell came to Peleliu, and he met it like a storm. Three grenades roared around him. No hesitation. No calculation. Just raw instinct — a boy-turned-hero who threw himself onto the steel death to save his brothers. The youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor in World War II because he put flesh on the line for his unit.

The Making of a Marine

Born August 14, 1928, in Lenoir, North Carolina, Lucas grew up in poverty, rough edges honed by hard times. A country boy with fire in his belly. He lied about his age to enlist—fifteen wasn’t old enough, but he felt old enough to fight. The Corps took him, a warrior in training with a sword of faith and a code forged by hardship.

His faith was quiet but steady. A guide in the chaos, a compass in the storm. “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Those words were not just scripture; they were a mission statement carved into his soul.

Peleliu: Fire and Sacrifice

September 15, 1944. Peleliu Island, Palau. The air smelled like rusted metal and burnt flesh. The island’s volcanic rock blasted by shells. His unit pushed forward through coral ridges under relentless Japanese fire.

In a moment that will echo through history, three grenades landed near his foxhole. Without thought, Lucas dove onto the first grenade. It exploded. The second bounced close. He covered it too. Severely wounded, blood soaking his uniform, muscles torn, and bones mangled, he hauled himself up just as the third grenade landed. Over it again, swallowing the screams, shielding his fellow Marines from certain death.

Doctors later called it a miracle that he survived, but no miracle without courage.

Medal of Honor: The Ultimate Price

Lucas' citation details a young Marine who “displayed extraordinary heroism and courageous devotion to duty.” Blown so severely that his left arm was amputated below the elbow and his right hand mangled, the scars bore silent witness to sacrifice.

General Alexander Vandegrift once said of Lucas, “His courage was beyond measure, a perfect example of Marine spirit.” Fellow Marines remembered a boy who had no business fighting at fifteen — a living legend grounded in grit, steel, and an indomitable will.

His Medal of Honor was awarded by President Harry S. Truman on May 27, 1945. The youngest Marine ever, and the only known Marine to dive on two grenades at once.

Legacy of Valor, Lessons of Humility

Lucas never sought glory. His war was personal, marked by pain and resilience. After the war, he dedicated himself to helping wounded veterans, embodying grace after violence. His scars told the brutal price of war — but also the price of love.

He remains a stark reminder that courage isn’t born from strength alone — it's choosing to sacrifice for your brother, even when the world is undone around you.

His story challenges us to reckon with what it means to love deeper than fear, to stand firmer than chaos, and to save others at all costs. That is the true legacy of Jacklyn Harold Lucas—one boy, boundless heart, who made war’s horrors bearable for those who stood by his side.

“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” — Deuteronomy 31:6