Youngest Marine Jacklyn Lucas Earned the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Dec 06 , 2025

Youngest Marine Jacklyn Lucas Earned the Medal of Honor at Iwo Jima

Jacklyn Harold Lucas was just seventeen years old when hell broke loose on the beaches of Iwo Jima. A boy by age but a warrior by choice—he jumped into firestorms and lived through chaos few could imagine. Two grenades landed mere inches from him. Without hesitation, he threw his fragile young body over them. Flesh shielded metal, and miracle followed madness.

Born to Fight, Raised by Faith

Lucas was born in 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina—a youth who grew quickly in a world crumbling under the weight of global war. By 14, he was already obsessed with joining the Marines. The Corps wouldn’t take him at 15, so he faked his age. A heartbeat of desperation, a pulse of resolve.

Raised in a household where faith wasn’t a sideline, the boy carried scripture like a loaded weapon in his heart. The Bible wasn’t a story source—it was an anchor. Psalm 18:2 whispered in the storm, “The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer…”

He lived by a code forged in the Marines: courage, honor, sacrifice. Those weren’t just words—they were survival.

Iwo Jima, February 1945: Baptism by Fire

On February 20, 1945, Lucas and the 5th Marine Division hit Iwo Jima’s volcanic beaches. The island was a fortress, wired with deadly traps, enemy sharpshooters hiding in caves and bunkers. The fight was brutal—every inch was paid for with blood.

Lucas found himself in a foxhole with four other Marines. Enemy grenades clattered down like death orders. The first went off harmlessly, but the next two landed beside him and his buddies. He didn’t wait. He dove on them as a human shield, absorbing the blast with his chest.

His body was shredded; the pain so searing it could have torn his soul. But he saved those four lives. And that, in the hellscape that was Iwo, became a legend.

He suffered grave wounds—shattered bones, mangled muscles. Months in the hospital followed, each day a battle on its own.

Medal of Honor: A Boy Among Giants

Jack Lucas remains the youngest Marine—and the youngest in any U.S. branch—to receive the Medal of Honor. The Navy cited his “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”¹

His 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 Fifth Marine Division during combat against enemy Japanese forces at Iwo Jima, Volcano Islands, 20 February 1945…”¹

Marshall Sterne, one fellow Marine, described it plainly:

“I don’t think you’ll find another kid with that kind of guts anywhere. He had no idea what the word fear meant.”²

Despite his youth, Lucas was a warrior tempered by resolve that rivaled seasoned vets.

Beyond Valor: Legacy Etched in Sacrifice

Jack Lucas's story isn’t just about medals or headlines—it’s a testament to the raw essence of sacrifice. The war permanently marked his body, but his spirit stayed unbroken. He returned home with scars no one could see, carrying a weight that only survivors understand.

His life became a beacon for those who carry the memories of war that won’t let go. The youngest Marine to earn the Medal of Honor embodied the harsh truth that courage often comes in the smallest packages but carries the heaviest burden.

For veterans, Lucas’s story is a mirror—a reminder that redemption comes not in victory, but in the resolve to endure after the screams have faded.

He gave his all so others might live. And in that, every veteran finds a piece of their own redemption.

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

Sources

1. U.S. Navy Department, Medal of Honor Citation for Jacklyn Harold Lucas, 1945. 2. Sterne, Marshall. Testimonies of Marines from Iwo Jima. Marine Corps Historical Division, 1980.