Bilgerat
12-02-2015, 12:23 PM
http://www.badassoftheweek.com/lucas.jpg
This is PFC Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas (14 February 1928 – 5 June 2008)
He was a was Marine who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Iwo Jima campaign.
At age 14 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, giving his age as 17. After being transferred to Pearl Harbor, he told his buddies that he wanted to join a combat organization.
He stowed away on board the USS Deuel which was transporting units of the 5th Marine Division into combat. He surrendered to the senior troop officer present on 8 February 1945 dressed in neat, clean dungarees and was allowed to remain, He reached his 17th birthday while at sea, six days before the heroic actions at Iwo Jima, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
During the fighting, Jack unhesitatingly threw himself onto a grenade, pulling a second grenade under himself to save his comrades. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body.
Lucas survived and eventually received 21 surgeries.
For the rest of his life, there remained about 200 pieces of metal, some the size of 22 caliber bullets, in Lucas' body — which set off airport metal detectors.
This is PFC Jacklyn “Jack” Lucas (14 February 1928 – 5 June 2008)
He was a was Marine who received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Iwo Jima campaign.
At age 14 he enlisted in the Marine Corps, giving his age as 17. After being transferred to Pearl Harbor, he told his buddies that he wanted to join a combat organization.
He stowed away on board the USS Deuel which was transporting units of the 5th Marine Division into combat. He surrendered to the senior troop officer present on 8 February 1945 dressed in neat, clean dungarees and was allowed to remain, He reached his 17th birthday while at sea, six days before the heroic actions at Iwo Jima, for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor.
During the fighting, Jack unhesitatingly threw himself onto a grenade, pulling a second grenade under himself to save his comrades. One of the grenades exploded, and Lucas absorbed the entire blasting force of it with his own body.
Lucas survived and eventually received 21 surgeries.
For the rest of his life, there remained about 200 pieces of metal, some the size of 22 caliber bullets, in Lucas' body — which set off airport metal detectors.