GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2009

H                                                                                                                                                    1

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 562

 

 

 

Sponsors:

Representatives Spear, Hill, McGee (Primary Sponsors); and Lewis.

Referred to:

Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House.

March 12, 2009

A JOINT RESOLUTION honoring the life and memory of Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas, one of the youngest medal of honor recipients of the TWENTIETH century.

Whereas, Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas was born on February 14, 1928, to Louis Harold Lucas and Margaret Edwards Lucas; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas spent much of his youth on a farm in Plymouth, North Carolina; and

Whereas, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Jack Lucas felt a strong desire to serve his country and at the age of 14 enlisted in the United States Marine Corps on August 6, 1942; and

Whereas, after basic training, Jack Lucas was disappointed to learn that he had been assigned to train new cadets, while a majority of his unit had been assigned to combat duty; and

Whereas, despite his orders, Jack Lucas boarded a train with his fellow marines to the West Coast and was eventually assigned to duty in Hawaii; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas wanted to see combat and on January 10, 1945, slipped aboard the USS Deuel, which was carrying members of the 5th Marine Division to Iwo Jima; and

Whereas, after several days at sea, Jack Lucas surrendered to a senior officer and was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 26th Marine, 5th Marine Division; and

Whereas, shortly after landing on Iwo Jima, Jack Lucas and three other marines were attacked by grenades on February 20, 1945; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas threw himself on one of the grenades and pulled the second one beneath his body, saving the other marines from the explosion but badly injuring himself; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas was later discharged from the Marine Corps due to his injuries, but was awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery during a ceremony at the White House on October 5, 1945; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas at the age of 17 became the youngest marine in history and the youngest soldier in the 20th century to receive the Medal of Honor; and

Whereas, after leaving the service, Jack Lucas went on to complete high school and college, attending Duke University for two years and graduating from High Point College in 1956; and

Whereas, in 1961, Jack Lucas rejoined the Armed Forces, enlisting in the army and serving for more than two years with the 82nd Airborne Division; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas, and the countless men and women who have unselfishly served in the military, should be commended for their service to our country; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas died on June 5, 2008, in Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and

Whereas, Jack Lucas is survived by his wife, Ruby Lucas; his children, William Lucas, Jimmy Lucas, Louis Harold Lucas, Peggy Lucas, Kelly Lucas; and his brother, Louis Ed Lucas; Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives, the Senate concurring:

SECTION 1.  The General Assembly honors the memory of Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas and expresses the appreciation of this State and its citizens for the valiant service he rendered to his country as a member of the armed forces.

SECTION 2.  The General Assembly extends its condolences to the family of Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas.

 SECTION 3.  The Secretary of State shall transmit a certified copy of this resolution to the family of Jacklyn "Jack" Harold Lucas.

SECTION 4.  This resolution is effective upon ratification.