Posted by
GunnyG© on Wednesday, January 10, 2007 8:39:46 AM
Jack Lummus was born on a cotton farm in southeast Ellis County in northeast Texas on 22 October, 1915. In August of 1941 Jack reported to the New York Giants training camp at Superior State Teachers College, Superior, Wisconsin. He made the final cut, and was a freshman end on the 33-man roster that opened the season against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night, 13 September, 1941.
On Friday, January 30, 1942, Jack joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve in Dallas, Texas for the duration of the national emergency. He was immediately assigned to active duty, and at 9:00 p.m., with 13 other recruits, boarded a Pullman car on the Texas & Pacific Railroad for the first leg of the journey to San Diego, California and basic training.
Jack volunteered for the Marine Raider Battalion and made THAT cut as well.
On Iwo, Lieutenant Lummus was leading the 3rd Platoon, continuing to spearhead the drive through the morning into the early afternoon when they were suddenly halted by a concentration of heavy enemy fire from concealed concrete pillboxes. Jack surveyed the terrain, making his decision, and moved out ahead of his platoon.
Moving forward, in the open, Jack was knocked to the ground by the impact from the explosion of an enemy grenade. He recovered and ran
forward of the line, Jack reached a concrete and reinforced steel pillbox containing three enemy defenders. He poked the muzzle of his carbine through an aperture firing rapidly into the interior, and then withdrew his carbine, and shoved fragmentation grenades through the opening. Smoke and debris poured from openings in the pillbox. In that moment of destruction, he was exposed to rifle and automatic fire from a supporting pillbox. The impact from the explosion of a second enemy grenade knocked Jack to the ground, and shrapnel from the blast tore into his shoulder. Disregarding painful shoulder wounds and on his feet, he raced to the second pillbox, and destroyed the enemy within.
Jack returned to the line, and his platoon. He rallied his men by going down the line from man to man directing and encouraging them to advance. He led, and they followed until halted by withering fire emanating from a third pillbox. Without hesitation or taking cover, Jack charged the pillbox, and destroyed the enemy, again allowing his troops to advance.
Jack continued to lead his platoon toward their objective while attacking foxholes and spider traps with his carbine. He had just cleared out one foxhole, and advancing to another, when his foot came down on the detonator of a land mine. Although mortally wounded, he struggled to rise from the broken ground on which he lay. For an instant his upper body was supported by an elbow, and he was shouting. But not from pain or fear of death, he was shouting to his men, "don't stop now, keep going."
The sight and the encouraging words from a mortally wounded Lummus inspired his men effecting a blending of rage of average men with normal emotions into an overpowering force of selfless, unrelenting Marines who fought across impossible terrain against a fanatical enemy, and breaking through the enemy's lines, they reach their objective.
A Navy corpsman quickly came to Jack's aid. Kneeling beside him, the corpsman worked rapidly to slow the bleeding. He started the first unit of plasma, before Jack was lifted from the broken ground, and placed on a stretcher. He died about 30 minutes later.

1st Lt Jack Lummus
The President of the United States takes pride in presenting the MEDAL OF HONOR posthumously to
FIRST LIEUTENANT JACK LUMMUS
UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS RESERVE
for service as set forth in the following
CITATION:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty as Leader of a Rifle Platoon, attached to Company E, Second Battalion, Twenty-seventh Marines, Fifth Marine Division, in action against enemy Japanese forces on Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands, 8 March 1945. Resuming his assault tactics with bold decision after fighting without respite for two days and nights. First Lieutenant Lummus slowly advanced his platoon against an enemy deeply entrenched in a network of mutually supporting positions. Suddenly halted by a terrific concentration of hostile fire, he unhesitatingly moved forward of his front line in an effort to neutralize the Japanese position. Although knocked to the ground when an enemy grenade exploded close by, he immediately recovered himself and, again moving forward despite the intensified barrage, quickly located attacked and destroyed the occupied emplacement. Instantly taken under fire by the garrison of a supporting pillbox and further assailed by the slashing fury of hostile rifle fire, he fell under the impact of a second enemy grenade, but courageously disregarding painful shoulder wounds, staunchly continued his heroic one-man assault and charged the second pillbox annihilating all the occupants. Subsequently returning to his platoon, position, he fearlessly traversed his lines under fire, encouraging his men to advance and directing the fire of supporting tanks against other stubbornly holding Japanese emplacements. Held up again by a devastating barrage, he again moved into the open, rushed a third heavily fortified installation and killed the defending enemy. Determined to crush all resistance, he led his men indomitably, personally, attacking foxholes and spider-traps with his carbine and systematically reducing the fanatic opposition until, stepping on a land mine, he sustained fatal wounds. By his outstanding valor, skilled tactics and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds, First Lieutenant Lummus had inspired his stouthearted Marines to continue the relentless drive northward, thereby contributing materially to the success of his company's mission. His dauntless leadership and unwavering devotion to duty throughout enhanced and sustained the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life in the service of his country.

1st Lt Jack Lummus