THE DESMOND DOSS STORY

On April 1, 1942, Desmond Doss joined the United States Army. Three and a half years later, he stood on the White House lawn, receiving the nation’s highest award for his bravery and courage under re. Of the 16 million men in uniform during World War II, only 431 received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Among these was a young Seventh-day Adventist Christian who refused to carry a gun and had not killed a single enemy soldier. His only weapons were his Bible and his faith in God. President Harry S. Truman warmly held the hand of Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss, as his citation was read to those gathered at the White House on October 12, 1945. “I’m proud of you,” Truman said. “You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president.”

When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Desmond was working at the Newport News Naval shipyard and could have requested a deferment. But he was willing to risk his life on the front lines in order to preserve free- dom. He wanted to be an Army combat medic and assumed his classi cation as a conscientious objector would not require him to carry a weapon. When he was assigned to an infantry ri e company, his refusal to carry a gun caused his fellow soldiers to view him with distain. They ostracized and bullied him. One man warned, “Doss, when we get into combat, I’ll make sure you don’t come back alive.”

Desmond was raised with a fervent belief in the Bible. He took the Ten Commandments, personally—es- pecially the words, “Thou shalt not kill.” He also took the fourth commandment seriously. His religious upbringing included weekly church attendance, on the seventh day. The Army was exasperated when he asked for a pass to attend church every Saturday. His o cers saw him a liability, a soft spoken skinny kid from the south and a Bible reading mis t. They tried to intimidate him, gave him extra duties, falsely de- clared him mentally un t and attempted to court martial him. He believed his duty was to obey God and serve his country—in that order, and he refused to leave.

Desmond served in combat on the islands of Guam and Leyte. In each military operation he exhibited ex- traordinary dedication to his men. While others were taking life, he was busy saving life. As enemy bullets whizzed past and mortar shells exploded around him, he repeatedly ran to treat a fallen comrade and car- ry him back to safety. By the time they reached Okinawa, he had been awarded two Bronze Stars for valor.

In May, 1945, Japanese troops were ercely defending Okinawa, the only remaining barrier to an allied invasion of their homeland. The American target was capturing the Maeda Escarpment, an imposing rock face the soldiers called, Hacksaw Ridge. After they secured the top of the cli , Japanese forces suddenly attacked. O cers ordered an immediate retreat. As a hundred or more lay wounded and dying on enemy soil, one lone soldier disobeyed those orders and charged back into the re ght. With a constant prayer on his lips, he vowed to rescue as many as he could, before he either collapsed or died trying. His iron de- termination and un agging courage resulted in at least 75 lives saved that day, May 5, 1945, his Sabbath.

Several days later, during an unsuccessful night raid, Desmond was severely wounded. Hiding in a shell hole with two ri emen, a Japanese grenade landed at his feet. The explosion sent him ying. The shrapnel tore into his leg and hip. While attempting to reach safety, he was hit by a sniper’s bullet that shattered his arm. His brave actions as a combat medic were over. But not before insisting that his litter-bearers take another man rst before rescuing him. Wounded, in pain, and losing blood, he still put the safety of others ahead of his own.

Before being honorably discharged from the Army in 1946, Desmond developed tuberculosis. His illness progressed and at the age of 87, Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss died on March 23, 2006. He is buried in the National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee.