and in some of them a solider in an act of heroism has thrown himself on top of a grenade,
to take the
full effect of the blast and to save his brothers in arms, well Jacklyn Lucas did just that, twice! a little
history of this amazing mans life, Jacklyn Harrell Lucas was born in
Plymouth, NC on February 14, 1928 at 14 lied his way into the military to
serve in World War II, at the age of 14, Jack looked much older,
relatively tall for his age (5′ 8″) and brawny at 180 pounds, Jack had no
trouble convincing the Marine Corps recruiters that he was 17 when he enlisted
in August of 1942, notably, to enlist at age 17 (as opposed to 18), Jack needed
a parent signature – so he forged his mother’s,
after reviewing a letter Jack had
written to his girlfriend, military censors realised he was only 15 years old,
he was then removed from his combat unit, but rather than sent home (something
he argued heavily against), he was assigned to truck driving, of course, being
“in the rear with the gear” was not Jack’s idea of military service, angry, he
got into so many fights that he was ultimately court-marshaled and spent 5
months breaking rocks and consuming mostly bread and water,
released from the stockade by January
1945 and still determined to see combat, Jack walked away from his post that
month and stowed away on the USS Deuel, a transport ship heading toward
fighting in the Pacific, because he left his assignment, he was declared a
deserter and reduced in rank to Private, now closer to the action, after hiding
for about a month, Jack finally turned himself in on February 8, 1945, once
again volunteering to fight, on February 14, he turned 17, by February 20, he
got his wish and was fighting on the island of Iowa Jima,
during the battle on February 20, 1945,
Jack and his comrades were advancing toward a Japanese airstrip near Mount
Suribachi, taking cover in a trench under heavy fire, Jack realised they were
only feet away from enemy soldiers in a neighbouring trench, he managed to
shoot two of the soldiers before a grenade landed in his trench, thinking
quickly, Jack threw himself on the first grenade, shoving it into volcanic ash
and used his body and rifle to shield the others with him from the pending
blast, when another grenade appeared directly after the first, he reached out
and pulled it under himself as well, the first failed to detonate, the second
did, his body took the brunt of the blasts and the massive amount of shrapnel,
his companions were all saved, but his injuries were so serious they thought he
had died, only after a second company moved through did anyone realise he was
somehow still alive,
Jack endured nearly two dozen surgeries
and extensive therapy and convalescence, despite the surgeries, over 250 pieces
of shrapnel remained in his body for the rest of his life, but his remarkable
story does not end there,
in conclusion shortly after his act of heroism, on
February 26, 1945, the deserter classification was removed and he was restored
to the rank of Private First Class, ultimately all 17 of his military
convictions were also cleared, nonetheless, he was unfit for duty and
discharged form the Marines on September 18, 1945, on October 5, 1945 President
Harry S Truman awarded Jack, and 13 other recipients at that ceremony, the
Medal of Honor, notably, however, at 17 he was the youngest there and the
youngest to ever receive the award, for his bravery and service, Jack also
received the Presidential Unit Citation, American Campaign Medal, Asiatic-Pacific
Campaign Medal, the World War II Victory Medal and a Purple Heart,
Jack lived to the ripe old age of 80, dying on June 5, 2008
from leukaemia, what an incredible man.
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