A Marine's Story: Captain Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas

 Captain Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas, A Marine's Story

Captain Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas

Born February 14, 1928 - Died June 5, 2008

Captain Jacklyn “Jack” Harold Lucas was born on February 14, 1928, in Plymouth, North Carolina. He attended the Edwards Military Institute, where he excelled as an all-around athlete, competing in football, basketball, and softball. He also boxed, wrestled, and competed in skeet and trap shooting.

At just fourteen years old, Lucas left school and enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps on August 8, 1942, forging his mother’s signature in his determination to serve during World War II.

After completing training and qualifying as a sharpshooter, Lucas was first posted to Jacksonville, Florida, and later transferred to Pearl Harbor in November 1943. Dissatisfied with his rear-area posting and eager to see combat, on January 10, 1945, he stowed away aboard the USS Deuel with the 26th Marines. Once far enough out to sea, he turned himself in and was demoted to private before being assigned as a rifleman.

On February 19, 1945, Private Lucas took part in the Marine landing on Iwo Jima. While on patrol with three other Marines, his unit encountered a group of eleven enemy soldiers who opened fire and threw two grenades. Without hesitation, Lucas pushed the grenades deep into the sand with the butt of his rifle and threw himself over them, shielding his comrades from the blasts. The other Marines neutralized the enemy, believing Lucas had been killed.

Miraculously, he was found alive by a following unit and evacuated for medical treatment. Lucas endured more than twenty surgeries and carried over 250 pieces of shrapnel in his body for the rest of his life. On October 4, 1945, President Harry S. Truman awarded him the Congressional Medal of Honor for his extraordinary bravery. Lucas was medically discharged from the Marine Corps shortly thereafter.

Determined to continue his education, Lucas completed high school and earned a business degree from High Point University in 1956. After working in the private sector for several years, he reenlisted, this time in the U.S. Army, in 1961. Assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division, he survived a 3,500-foot fall when both his parachutes failed during a training jump, escaping with only minor injuries thanks to a perfectly executed roll.

Although he volunteered for combat duty in Vietnam, his request was denied. He served instead at Fort Bragg, training airborne combat troops, and retired as a captain in 1965.

Following his military service, Captain Lucas owned a chain of butcher shops in Maryland. He later survived an assassination attempt by his second wife before retiring to Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Captain Jacklyn H. Lucas passed away from leukemia on June 5, 2008, and is buried at Highland Cemetery in Hattiesburg.

Before his death, he donated his Medal of Honor to the U.S. Marine Corps, which placed it in the hull of the USS Iwo Jima. He also authored his autobiography, Indestructible: The Unforgettable Story of a Marine Hero at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

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a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller living in Salem, Virginia. 

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