Two grenades - two parachutes failed - Leukemia must be a real biatch.

//Rest in peace soldier

They broke the mold when he was born. He joined the army paratroopers to get over his fear of heights when he was in his 40s! Semper Fi.

I was JUST thinking about this guy the other day! I remember him from a book on Iwo Jima and someone said something on Fark about brake MOH winners and I couldn't dig up his story. Holy crap dude, way to live! Semper Fi indeed!

PC LOAD LETTER: brake

brave...

RIP, sir.

NeauxFear: This man is my stepmother's uncle. Hell of a guy, to say the least. Three of the Lucas boys signed up; all of them except for Nub. Nub was thusly nicknamed when he played with the dynamite his dad kept in the barn, much to the chagrin of his two forearms.

The oldest was Herbert, my stepmother's father who fought with the Marines at Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima, etc. The next oldest was Duck, now dead (so nicknamed because he could do a perfect Donald Duck impression). He fought the Germans under Patton in North Africa and invaded Normandy with a flamethrower on D-Day.

Imagine my surprise when I went to the D-Day museum in New Orleans, and watched a documentary they show in a small theatre. There were the three brothers being interviewed for this film, and it's the only time I've seen those tough old bastards cry, let alone all at one time.

God bless you, Uncle Jack.

that pretty cool.

NeauxFear: MorningBreath: that pretty cool.

No, what's pretty cool is seeing him called a hero on TF, because i didn't submit this. :)

These brothers, like so many others from that time, had the unique quality of being the toughest men, the most loving fathers, and the most honest men you ever met.

They just don't make em like that anymore.

Not as often, but they exist. (pops)

NeauxFear: They just don't make em like that anymore.

I brought that up in the D-day thread, there are still young soldiers sailors and marines like that today. It may be an unpopular war, but there are acts of bravery happening still. Everytime I get disgusted in my generation I think of those young men making the ultimate sacrifice for the guy standing next to them.

Back on topic though, that is an amazing story NeauxFear.

JPJ007: Hell of a man.

But will someone please tell me how the fark you survive jumping on a grenade?

The sand on Iwo Jima is volcanic in nature and very lose. He dove on the two grenades and shoved them as deeply under the sand as he could. This created a sort of barrier that was the difference between life and death for him.

On a side note, I met the guy when he visited Okinawa while I was stationed there. He was headed for Iwo Jima, and to get there, you fly out of Okinawa, so he did a quick tour of the Marine Bases. He was driven around in a big van, that was rumored to be needed to hold his massive brass balls.

I also went to Iwo Jima (not with this guy) and brought back a jar of black sand that sits on a shelf in my house today, next to a smaller one that my great uncle brought back with him (he was a war dog handler in WWII) that he left me when he died. It will be a sad day when the last of these guys passes on.

Semper Fidelis Sir, and Godspeed while you head up to stand the final Guard Post.

/Marine 1997-2003
//Afghanistan and Iraq
///still don't think I am even in the same league as these old guys, and I get embarrassed when they say that I am

epoc_tnac: I respect that you guys like to big up the Marines and you think they're protecting your country and everything...

But the whole Latin phrase thing is taking it a bit far isn't it? Aren't they basically a bunch of hired killers?

And don't they just do whatever the government says?

I don't understand this "hate the government, love their obedient killing machines" mentality.

1/10 your troll-fu is weak you friend

devildog123: epoc_tnac: I respect that you guys like to big up the Marines and you think they're protecting your country and everything...

But the whole Latin phrase thing is taking it a bit far isn't it? Aren't they basically a bunch of hired killers?

And don't they just do whatever the government says?

I don't understand this "hate the government, love their obedient killing machines" mentality.

1/10 your troll-fu is weak you my friend


FTFMS. This'll teach me to post as I'm leaving for work

Please don't feed the troll, not today.

mouser_inc: two grenades and two failed parachutes and finally fell to cancer.

sounds like he fought death and death and to fall back and regroup.

sounds like one hell of a guy

R.I.P.

Yeah, I think hes been dead for 63 years, but Death had to wait for him to weaken enough to tell him.

I salute Mr. Lucas and all the other heroes who brought us victory in that war and secured our freedom. I get a rush of awe every time I read about brave actions like his.