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Jack Lucas, the youngest Marine ever to recieve the Congressional Medal of Honor, died today in Mississippi; he was 80. A young 14 year-old Jack lied about his age in order to join the service. He was just 6 days past his 17th birthday when his heroism at Iwo JIma earned him the nation's highest honor.
He used himself as a shield to cover 3 other members of his squad, and was nearly killed when one of two grenades exploded driving 250 pieces of shrapnel into his body.
During the Battle of Iwo Jima in 1945, Lucas saved the lives of two fellow Marines by throwing himself on a pair of Japanese grenades that landed in their trench. Only one of them exploded and Lucas (then only 17) miraculously survived, with over 250 pieces of shrapnel in his body. He underwent 21 surgeries in the months after the battle.
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