The 17-year-old Marine who survived a grenade blast to earn the Medal of Honor

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: Jacklyn H. Lucas lied about his age to enlist at 14, stowed away on a ship to reach the front lines, and ultimately saved his comrades on Iwo Jima by smothering two grenades with his body. He survived the blast, only to live a life as dramatic as his combat service.

Born in 1928, Jacklyn H. Lucas was a physically imposing teenager who forged his mother's signature to join the Marine Corps Reserve in 1942 at just 14 years old. After training as a machine gunner, he grew restless and went AWOL in 1945, stowing away on the USS Deuel to reach the invasion of Iwo Jima. Though he was initially threatened with desertion charges, he was allowed to join a rifle company, where he celebrated his 17th birthday at sea just days before the landing.

On February 20, 1945, while navigating a ravine, Lucas and three other Marines were ambushed by 11 Japanese soldiers. When two grenades landed in their trench, Lucas threw himself onto one and pulled the other beneath his body. One grenade detonated, leaving him severely wounded with hundreds of metal fragments embedded in his body, while the second failed to explode. His actions saved his comrades and allowed them to defeat the enemy patrol. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in October 1945, becoming the youngest serviceman to receive the decoration during World War II.

Lucas's post-war life was marked by both resilience and hardship. He joined the Army in 1961 to serve as a paratrooper, eventually reaching the rank of captain. Despite his military accolades, he faced significant personal struggles, including financial ruin, a plot against his life by family members, and a brush with the law over marijuana plants found near his campsite. He remained a legendary figure in the Corps, even sealing his Medal of Honor citation into the hull of the USS Iwo Jima. He passed away in 2008, and in 2023, the Navy commissioned the USS Jack H. Lucas in his honor.

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