Medal of Honor Recipient Jacklyn Lucas Saved Fellow Marines at Tarawa

Jan 22 , 2026

Medal of Honor Recipient Jacklyn Lucas Saved Fellow Marines at Tarawa

The dirt clings to his blood, the sharp blast ringing in his ears, but Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. moves without thought. Two grenades land among his brothers. He throws himself onto them—bare hands, bare bone, bare guts. The blast rips through flesh, shreds skin, but he does not flinch.

In that moment, a 17-year-old Marine became a living shield, a wall between death and life.

The Boy Who Chose War Over Childhood

Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. was no ordinary kid. Born August 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina, he grew restless under the calm of his youth. Patriotic stories stirred something fierce inside him—a hunger to belong to something larger than himself. At 14, he lied about his age and enlisted in the Marines, a warrior’s fire burning early.

Faith ran deep, too, though not loudly spoken. Raised in a Christian home, Jacklyn carried a quiet belief that his courage wasn’t just his own—it was given, loaned for a purpose. His life was lived by a hard code: protect your brothers, act without hesitation, and leave no man behind.

“I wasn’t thinking about the medals or the glory," he said later. "I just knew I had to act.”

Tarawa: Hell on Earth

The date was November 20, 1943. The target: Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll in the Pacific. The 2nd Marine Division faced one of the bloodiest, most brutal amphibious assaults of World War II. The enemy was dug in deep, machine guns pounded relentless fire, and the sand was slick with blood.

Amid the chaos, young Jacklyn saw his first grenade land near a group of Marines huddled together, preparing to move forward. Without thought or pause, he threw himself onto the explosive, absorbing the blast. The blast wasn’t finished—another grenade bounced dangerously close. He covered that one with his other arm, holding it down despite the hell that seared through him.

He lost parts of his left hand, suffered severe burns, and was pierced by shrapnel. But his act saved at least two fellow Marines from certain death.

He was lying on that island, broken and bleeding at barely 17 years old, an unyielding testament to sacrifice.

Medal of Honor: The Youngest Marine

Jacklyn Lucas’ actions earned him the Medal of Honor, making him the youngest Marine ever to receive the nation’s highest military decoration. President Franklin D. Roosevelt pinned the medal on him personally—an acknowledgment of valor that echoed through history.[^1]

His Medal of Honor citation recounts his “indomitable courage and unselfish actions,” saving the lives of his comrades at the sacrifice of his own body. It detailed an act beyond the call of duty, fearless and selfless.

Colonel Pedro del Valle, then-commanding officer of the 1st Marine Division, reportedly said,

“Lucas saved many lives that day. His bravery was as stark and pure as any I had seen in combat.”

The Scars That Tell Stories

Healing was long and painful. Surgeries and rehabilitation dulled some pain, but scars—both physical and spiritual—ran deeper. His youthful body was forever marked by war’s brutal cost. Yet, Lucas carried those scars like a mantle of honor; each was a reminder of the price of courage.

He later reflected, “I’m not a hero… just a Marine who did what had to be done.”

The story of Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. lives on as a stark declaration: valor is not measured by age or muscle but by choice and sacrifice in the moment of truth.

Legacy in the Face of Darkness

Lucas’ life after the war was humble, a quiet echo compared to the thunder of his combat days. But the lessons of Tarawa and his unwavering faith echoed louder than his medals.

He became a living sermon on the grit it takes to stand in the hellfire so others might live.

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

In the marrow of his bones, that scripture found flesh.

No man chooses the battlefield hoping to be broken. But Jacklyn Harold Lucas Jr. chose to be a shield, bearing wounds so others could carry on. That’s the legacy etched deep into the dirt of Tarawa—a call to courage that rings through every generation of warriors.

When sacrifice demands the last breath, it is the heart forged in faith and brotherhood that stands tallest.

[^1]: United States Marine Corps, Medal of Honor Citation for Jacklyn Harold Lucas, Jr., 1943; Naval History and Heritage Command, Tarawa Landing Report.