1945: PFC Jack Lucas

Eager to become a Marine, Private First Class Jack Lucas forged his mother's signature on a waiver form to enlist at age 14. 
 
While fighting at the Battle of Iwo Jima at barely 17 years old, PFC Lucas shielded three fellow Marines from two grenades. Although he survived, the blast embedded more than 250 pieces of shrapnel into his body. 
 
For his actions, Lucas earned the Congressional Medal of Honor. In an interview minutes before getting the award, Lucas said, "I did a Superman dive at the grenades. I wasn’t a Superman after I got hit." Lucas wasn't Superman — he was a Marine.