Youngest WWII Marine to Get Medal of Honor Dies

SSGMike.Ivy · 05-06-2008, 06:30 PM

Marine Who Got Medal of Honor at 17 for WWII Service Dies at 80

JACKSON, Miss. — Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Miss., hospital. He was 80.

Ponda Lee at Moore Funeral Service said the funeral home was notified that Lucas had died during the pre-dawn hours at Forrest General Hospital. He had been battling cancer. Lee said funeral arrangements were incomplete.

Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor.

Slipdigit · 05-06-2008, 06:40 PM

Here are some pictures of the soldier.

von Poop · 05-06-2008, 07:43 PM

Content Window for Jack Lucas

I see surviving recipients is a pretty exclusive club:
The Living Medal of Honor Recipients

Slipdigit · 05-06-2008, 09:09 PM

Rough ol' cob, wasn't he?

ItemCo16527 · 06-06-2008, 08:14 AM

Rest in peace, Mr. Lucas

spidge · 06-06-2008, 10:55 AM

That is heroism and he was definitely a hero!

RIP

woodenshoe · 07-06-2008, 02:02 PM

You are right Slip, definitely a tough guy! RIP

Owen · 13-06-2008, 01:14 AM

Missed this.
What a story.

marcus69x · 13-06-2008, 02:39 PM

Yep that's definatley a quality story. A truly brave guy. And a little terror too by the sounds of it. :-)

05-06-2008, 06:30 PM	#1 (permalink)
SSGMike.Ivy Member Join Date: Jan 2005 Posts: 90	Youngest WWII Marine to Get Medal of Honor Dies Marine Who Got Medal of Honor at 17 for WWII Service Dies at 80 JACKSON, Miss. — Jack Lucas, who at 14 lied his way into military service during World War II and became the youngest Marine to receive the Medal of Honor, died Thursday in a Hattiesburg, Miss., hospital. He was 80. Ponda Lee at Moore Funeral Service said the funeral home was notified that Lucas had died during the pre-dawn hours at Forrest General Hospital. He had been battling cancer. Lee said funeral arrangements were incomplete. Lucas was just six days past his 17th birthday in February 1945 when his heroism at Iwo Jima earned him the nation's highest military honor. __________________ SSGMike.Ivy Vietnam Veteran D Co 3/8th 4th Infantry Division "Steadfast and Loyal" October 1968-October 1969 US Army Retired 1998

05-06-2008, 06:40 PM	#2 (permalink)
Slipdigit The Dixie Division Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Not far enough in the woods Posts: 1,629	Here are some pictures of the soldier. __________________ Warmest Regards, Jeff The Bonnie Blue Flag *

05-06-2008, 07:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
von Poop I Like Tanks Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Perfidious Albion. Posts: 8,471	Content Window for Jack Lucas I see surviving recipients is a pretty exclusive club: The Living Medal of Honor Recipients __________________ It's only the Internet.

05-06-2008, 09:09 PM	#4 (permalink)
Slipdigit The Dixie Division Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Not far enough in the woods Posts: 1,629	Rough ol' cob, wasn't he? __________________ Warmest Regards, Jeff The Bonnie Blue Flag *

06-06-2008, 08:14 AM	#5 (permalink)
ItemCo16527 Kamikaze Highlanders Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: New Jersey Posts: 27	Rest in peace, Mr. Lucas __________________ -Jeff C. In memory of: T/Sgt. George A. Christel, Co. I, 165th Inf. Regt., 27th Inf. Div. Killed in action on Okinawa, 30 April 1945. -and- T/Sgt. Albert B. Wiest, 57th S.A.W. Det., Co. B, 563rd S.A.W. Bn., XIX T.A.C., 9th A.F.

06-06-2008, 10:55 AM	#6 (permalink)
spidge Legendary Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 8,044	That is heroism and he was definitely a hero! RIP __________________ Spidge, ------------------------------------------------------- My Avatar is the memorial to the 22 Commonwealth Coastwatchers at the Temakin Cemetery on Betio (Tarawa Atoll) who were beheaded by the Japanese on 15th October 1942. http://www.dva.gov.au/media/publicat...mem_beito.html "You were given the choice between war and dishonor. You chose dishonor and you will have war." (Winston Churchill made this prophetic pronouncement in a House of Commons speech in 1938, just after Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain signed the Munich agreement with Hitler. Chamberlain returned from Germany with the signed agreement in hand, proclaiming that "peace in our time" had been achieved. Churchill attacked Chamberlain's "politics of appeasement" in this and many other speeches.) What did the Australians do in ww2 and other conflicts? Check out this site: http://www.diggerhistory.info/00-pag...ster-index.htm

07-06-2008, 02:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
woodenshoe Junior Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: just outside the Windy City! Posts: 16	You are right Slip, definitely a tough guy! RIP

13-06-2008, 01:14 AM	#8 (permalink)
Owen Top Moose Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Under the stairs Posts: 9,459	Missed this. What a story.

13-06-2008, 02:39 PM	#9 (permalink)
marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!! Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Middlesbrough, UK Posts: 1,524	Yep that's definatley a quality story. A truly brave guy. And a little terror too by the sounds of it. :-)

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