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Jack's story starts off with him being a phenomenal two-sport athlete, bringing crowds into furious applause and cheers as he wowed them with his athletic prowess on the baseball diamond and the gridiron. At the time, the notion that Jack Lummus was the best centerfielder Baylor ever fielded was quite accurate, couple that with his professional football career with the New York Giants and you've got one hell of an athlete.Jack wasn't a two-trick pony though, as he had other skills. Jack Lummus had something for everyone, in fact, he even had a little something for the enemy on the island of Iwo Jima (here's a hint, it was death, he gave them death).Initially, Jack joined up with the Army Air Corps and dropped out of Baylor to fight. Hicks Field outside of Fort Worth, Texas is where his pilot training took place but, fate had other plans in store for Jack as his plane clipped a fence during taxi, despite his flawless flight. So with his initial plans to fight over, he went to training camp for the New York Giants. Again fate had this way of kind ruining the best-laid plans of mice and men. December 7th, 1941 Japan attacked Pearl Harbor.
Jack enlisted in the Marine Corps a little over a month later. Making his way around the Corps he finally landed on Iwo Jima and became a platoon leader with E Company. Fate had finally arrived for Jack.We have no doubt that Jack's athleticism played a part in his heroics. After two days and two nights of giving hell to the enemy, Jack led his platoon forward again. This time those assholes in pillboxes tried to ruin his day. Bad decision enemy, bad decision. Jack charged forward and despite getting thrown to the ground by a grenade blast, made the forces occupying that pillbox have more than the recommended amount of holes and less than the recommended amount of blood. Jack continued his assault doing pretty much the same thing two more times all by himself despite being wounded. His fearless leadership is proof that fate decided his platoon needed his example that day.Jack Lummus' tour as the Grim Reaper would sadly end that day when he stepped on a landmine that ultimately took his life.For his actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.Read more stories of American Grit:
