Hey there. It's my grow, and this is the way I heard the only podcast the curious mind with a short attention span. I've been thinking and rather than sell the incredibly valuable piece of real estate that precedes the unforgettable story. You're about to hear too many of my loyal sponsors this month, I'm going to keep it for myself, so that I might suggest to you with great humility that you consider giving my book as a Christmas present like the story you're about to hear the book is called the way I heard it and modesty aside, I don't think you'll find a more appropriate gift out there. The reviews are.

Excellent. It's an official New York Times best seller and everybody tells me they hear my voice in their head when they read it now. I don't know if that's that's a good thing or bad thing or weird thing, but it's definitely something: gotta micro dot com, slash book, that's micro, dot, com, slash book there, still a few autographed copies left if you'd like one just click on autographed copy stuff it in a stocking, rapid and brown paper or slap, bow on my giant face and give it to somebody love or like, or somebody just simply feel obligated to buy a gift for either way it's at micro dot, com, slash book. This is the way I heard. The young marine standing before the ship's commander was a liar and a forger. Happily, the commander didn't know that on the down

side. This marine was also a deserter and stole away, both of which the commander understood all too well. Now, let me get this straight son, Your unit in Hawaii a month ago just walked off the base without a word to anybody. Yes, sir, what your full name private, first class Jack Lucas wrong the commander snapped you're, not a pfc anymore, you're commanding officer busted, you back to private right before he put a bounty on your ed you're, a dessert or son, a demoted deserter, and you are in a world of trouble. The young man look straight ahead. As the commander took a final drag office, cigarette and stubbed it out and now you're telling me that stowed away on my ship, because you want to fight on it- would Jima and why in the hell, would you want to do that? Former private first class Jack Lucas shifted his gaze to meet his commanders and held

ass. He spoke. I didn't join the Marines to push paper and a supplied depot. Sir I've been riding a desk for three years. Let em punish me if that's what they got do, but let me fight first, the commander could have sent this demoted deserter straight to the brig and then back to the states for trial. A dishonourable discharge and some mandatory prince, time, but he knew that Charlie company would need all the help they could get on with GMO and whatever, Elsie was the marine standing before him didn't seem like a coward. We landed five days said the commander. You gonna fight I'll, take it to a fight, dismissed. Five days later, the expeditionary force was on the island, making their way inland where the enemy was hung,

down on a vast warren of tunnels and reinforced bunkers Jack and three other riflemen were picking their way down a steep ravine when eleven japanese soldiers popped up from a nearby trench and open fire, sending the Marines diving for cover eleven against for their eyes were horrible, but Marines fought with everything they had and soon it was ten against four and then nine against four and then eight against four, but then to hand, grenades arc through the air and landed in the soft volcanic ash. Just a few yards from Jack and right in the midst of his fellow Marines Jack didn't hesitate. He Dover over the men

and onto the first grenade smothering it under his body. The second grenadier grabbed with his free hand and held it tightly to his chest, shielding the rifle in his best. He could a moment later. The first explosion lifted Jack off the ground, sending bits of flesh and uniform flying into the air. The second explosion never happened. Then the japanese soldiers charged and the remaining. Three Marines killed them all in a furious hail of machine gun, fire Jack was left for dead, which, by all appearances, he clearly was. But of course, appearances can be deceiving. In fact, it was Jack's appearance that got him in the core. In the first place you see when Jack enlisted three and a half years earlier, he appeared to be the perfect

Cruet a hundred eighty pounds of solid muscle with burning desire to avenge the outrage of Pearl harbor. He was, seventeen at the time a year below the minimum age, but his mother Had signed the mandatory enlistment waiver submarines took him, only problem was jack, had forged his mom signature and when the truth came out He was given the choice of either going back home were riding a desk for the next four years, maybe, as he lay there in a pool of his own blood, face down in the mud, seven thousand miles from home Jack,

considered the cost of his various insubordination. Maybe, but I doubt it because there was something else about Jack's resolve worth noting you see. Jack's mom had refused to sign that enlistment waiver because she knew the truth about her son. She knew the jack was seventeen when he enlisted. Nor was he sixteen. Nor was he fifteen. When the japanese bomb Pearl Harbor Jack Lucas was a thirteen year old boy, a boy who decided right then and there to fight for his country. That's why he forged his mother's name That's why he lied to his superiors, deserted his post and stowed away on a transport ship. That's why, at fourteen years of age, he became the youngest marine to ever, where the uniform. That's. Why, when he finally turn seventeen

Jack Lucas became the youngest marine since the civil war to receive, Medal of honor. And that's also why, on his eightieth birthday, Jack Lucas looked back on his illustrious career in a way that few survivors can, as the only member of the United States armed forces to ever be recognised for bravery and valor above and beyond the call of duty, while fighting as demoted deserter. Anyway. That's the way I heard.