The Terrible Story of Captain Jacklin “Jack” Lucas was the youngest Medal Of Honor recipient during World War II.
He willingly misrepresented his real age in order to voluntarily join the service during WWII. He was 14 years old.
He joined the U.S. Marine Corps.. This alone would guarantee with almost absolute certainty that he will see combat and have his life in mortal jeopardy.
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However, the U.S.M.C. realized the situation but in an odd twist, choose not to discharge him, but re-assigned him to Motorized Transportation duties and have him serving as a truck driver in Hawaii.
Private Lucas stowed away on board a transport ship bound for Iwo Jima. He was allowed to join a Marines unit assigned to attempt to take that island, as the unit members and their leading officer were unaware of his true age.
Young Jack Lucas turned 17 years old while on board that vessel, less that six days before his unit landed at the beach on Iwo Jima.
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On his second day of combat, events transpired that put Pvt. Lucas and his fellow Marines in immediate harm’s way, yet the courageous young man acted selflessly and without hesitation, knowingly taking an action that would mean his inevitable demise in exchange for affording protection and maybe even saving some of the lives of his brothers in arms.
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