The Incredible Story of Jack Lucas: The Youngest Medal of Honor Recipient in World War II
Jack Lucas saved the lives of three men… just six days after his 17th birthday.
February 17, 2020
Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas was born on February 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina. Lucas was always big for his age, and after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, he was desperate to serve his country. While most 14-year-old boys contributed to the war effort through scrap drives and air raid drills, the audacious Lucas forged his mother’s signature so he could join the Marines. When the Marine Corps realized its mistake a year later, Lucas was relegated to driving a truck in Hawaii. Although Lucas was lucky not to have been immediately discharged, he was not willing to sit out the war in safety. Instead, he stowed away aboard the USS Deuel, a transport ship bound for Iwo Jima. Officers of the 26th Marines, unaware of the young Marine’s age, allowed Lucas to join their unit when they discovered him aboard the ship. Jack celebrated his 17th birthday at sea on February 14, 1945.
Marines of the 27th Regiment prepare to move inland on Iwo Jima, February 19, 1945. Photo by Naval History and Heritage Command.
On the afternoon of February 19, Lucas landed on the Japanese-held island of Iwo Jima as a rifleman with the 1st Battalion, 26th Marines, 5th Marine Division. On Lucas’ second day in combat, two Japanese grenades fell into the trench he was sharing with three fellow Marines. Lucas was in the process of clearing a jam in his rifle and was the only one to notice the grenades. He yelled “grenade!” and pushed a fellow Marine out of the way. Lucas then threw himself on one grenade and pulled the other grenade underneath his body, pushing the small black cylinder as far into the black volcanic soil as he could. Seconds later, one of the grenades exploded, sending more than 250 pieces of shrapnel into Lucas, and causing grievous wounds throughout his body. Lucas was thrown into the air and landed on his back. Lucas’ comrades were sure he was dead and left the trench to continue their assault. Meanwhile, Lucas, who did not lose consciousness, could not make a sound and struggled to breathe. A Marine who happened to pass by saw Lucas and called for a Navy Corpsman. The Corpsman who came to Lucas’ aid not only treated his wounds, but also shot and killed another enemy soldier preparing to throw a grenade at the pair.
https://www.nationalww2museum.org/war/articles/incredible-story-jack-lucas-youngest-medal-honor-recipient-world-war-ii
