Ennis in Ellis County, Texas — The American South (West South Central)

Jack Lummus

(October 22, 1915 - March 8, 1945)

Photographed By James Hulse, January 11, 2021

1. Jack Lummus Marker

Inscription.

Born on an Ellis County farm, Jack Lummus attended school at Alma and Ennis, and Baylor University on an athletics scholarship. He played minor league baseball in Texas and football for the New York Giants. He joined the U.S. Marines in 1942 and on February 19, 1945, landed with the Fifth Marine Division in the first wave of assault troops on Iwo Jima. On March 8, after fighting without respite for two days and nights, Lummus and his rifle platoon slowly advanced toward a complex of pillboxes before being halted by Japanese forces. Despite injuries from two grenade explosions, Lummus single-handedly destroyed three enemy emplacements before stepping on a land mine, sustaining fatal wounds. His Congressional Medal of Honor celebrates his "conspicuous gallantry and tenacious perseverance in the face of overwhelming odds."

Additional tablet
An exhibit with photos of Jack Lummus, a copy of the citation for his Medal of Honor and other records are available in the library on this site.

Erected 1999 by Texas Historical Commission. (Marker Number 11862.)

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: War, World II. A significant historical date for this entry is February 19, 1945.

Location. 32° 19.516′ N, 96° 37.885′ W. Marker is in

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Ennis, Texas, in Ellis County. Marker is at the intersection of West Ennis Avenue (Business U.S. 287) and South Gaines Street, on the left when traveling west on West Ennis Avenue. The marker is located in a small courtyard on the west side of the Ennis Public Library. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 501 West Ennis Avenue, Ennis TX 75119, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. LaJuan Schlegel (approx. ¼ mile away); Minnie McDowal (approx. ¼ mile away); Ennis City Hall (approx. ¼ mile away); Ennis National Bank Building (approx. ¼ mile away); Burnam Square and Cemetery (approx. 0.3 miles away); Town of Ennis (approx. 0.3 miles away); Railroads in Ennis (approx. 0.3 miles away); Pierce Park (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ennis.

Also see . . . Andrew Jackson Lummus, Jr. [Jack] (1915–1945). In the Fifth Marine Division, Jack Lummus was among the first wave of marines that landed on Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945. As a rifle platoon leader, Lummus’s actions on March 8 against stubborn Japanese defenders on the island’s west coast, the Nishi Ridge, earned him the Medal of Honor. Source: The Handbook of Texas (Submitted on January 16, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)

Photographed By James Hulse, January 11, 2021

2. Jack Lummus Marker

The Jack Lummus Marker in the Library courtyard image. Click for full size.

Photographed By James Hulse, January 11, 2021

3. The Jack Lummus Marker in the Library courtyard

First Lieutenant Jack Lummus, USMC image. Click for full size.

Public Domain - United States Marine Corps, circa 1940s

4. First Lieutenant Jack Lummus, USMC

Credits. This page was last revised on January 17, 2021. It was originally submitted on January 16, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 167 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 16, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. • J. Makali Bruton was the editor who published this page.