Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Marine Who Saved Men at Iwo Jima

Dec 08 , 2025

Jacklyn Lucas, Youngest Marine Who Saved Men at Iwo Jima

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. was seventeen—barely a man—when he pressed his body against two live grenades and saved his brothers in arms from death. The world was a fury of screams and steel on Iwo Jima, but in that lightning instant, young Lucas chose to carry the explosion himself. Shattered, bleeding, and nearly dead, he stood as a testament to brutal courage carved from a boy’s heart.

The Boy Who Would Be a Marine

Born in 1928, Jacklyn Lucas grew up tough in North Carolina, raised by a working-class family with rugged, God-fearing roots. He never aimed for glory—just to serve. At 14, he lied about his age to enlist in the Navy, was discharged for being too young, then tried again and joined the Marines at 16 years, seven months[^1].

His faith was quiet but firm. In letters home and in his actions, you find a foundation stronger than muscle—a belief that life was not his own, but entrusted to defend others. “Greater love hath no man than this,” the words from John 15:13 hung heavy in the silence between gunfire.

Hell on Iwo Jima

February 1945. Iwo Jima. A hellish island, scarred by volcanic ash and shrouded in death. Lucas was assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Marines, part of the 4th Marine Division. The battle was notorious for vicious Japanese resistance and unforgiving terrain.

Amid the choking smoke and blood, a grenade landed among his platoon. Without hesitation, Lucas dove atop it. Moments later, a second grenade landed. Again, he threw himself over it, absorbing the blasts.

He tore through the explosions but defied death’s grip.

Despite losing both hands and suffering severe injuries across his body[^2], Lucas remained conscious. The raw hell of war seared into his flesh, but his spirit held firm.

Another Marine recalled watching the scene: “It was the purest act of selflessness I ever saw.” His doctor would later say Lucas survived miracles.

The Medal of Honor

At just 17 years old, Jacklyn Lucas became—and remains—the youngest Marine ever awarded the Medal of Honor. President Harry S. Truman presented the medal on October 5, 1945, recognizing not just heroism but the rare, impossible bravery of a boy made into a lion by war[^2].

His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty...By unhesitatingly flinging himself on the two grenades, Junior Lucas saved the lives of the men around him at the cost of his own severe injuries.”[^2]

His commanding officers praised his “unbelievable valor”—a heart beating louder than fear.

A Legacy Written in Blood and Grace

Lucas survived the war—but the scars ran deep. Both hands lost, the Marine Corps named him an enduring symbol of sacrifice and resilience.

He did not seek fame. Instead, he carried his story forward quietly, embodying a simple but profound lesson: courage is not the absence of fear; it’s deciding that something else is more important. He reminded veterans that redemption is found in service, in sacrifice, in lifting the fallen.

His life declared that even the youngest souls could carry the heaviest burdens—and somehow, survive them.

“I think about those guys I saved every day,” Lucas once said. “They gave me a reason to keep living.”

His journey is a raw, unvarnished reminder of what war demands, and what faith returns.

From a boy’s broken body rose an unbreakable spirit. Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr., the youngest Marine Medal of Honor recipient, forged a timeless testament in blood and bone—that true courage demands sacrifice, and through sacrifice, redemption is born.

“Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.” —Psalm 116:15

Sources

[^1]: U.S. Marine Corps History Division, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II [^2]: Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Jacklyn H. Lucas Jr. Citation and Biography