Desmond Doss conscientious objector received Medal of Honor

http://www.WALLYBUTLER.US - Desmond T. Doss (February 7, 1919March 23, 2006) was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor (Cpl. Thomas W. Bennett, an army medic during the Vietnam war, is the only other). He was a Private First Class (at the time of his Medal of Honor heroics) in the U.S. Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. He died the same day as another Medal of Honor recipient, David Bleak.

Desmond Doss refused to kill, or carry a weapon into combat, because of his personal beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. He thus became a medic, and by serving in the Pacific theatre of World War II helped his country by saving the lives of his comrades, while also adhering to his religious convictions.

His Medal of Honor was earned by the risks he took to save the lives of many comrades.

G.O. No.: 97, November 1, 1945.

Citation:

He was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet (120 m) high. As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them 1 by 1 to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands. On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards (180 m) forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within 8 yards (7.3 m) of enemy forces in a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety. On May 5, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet (7.6 m) from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards (91 m) to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire. On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers' return, he was again struck, by a sniper bullet while being carried off the field by a comrade, this time suffering a compound fracture of 1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards (270 m) over rough terrain to the aid station. Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.[1] SOURCE - From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss

http://www.netflix.com/Movie/The_Conscientious_Objector/70075527

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[snuplex]

A man of biblical proportions.

[gypsy8844]

Desmond Doss is an inspiration and role model to all of us.

[29manchu]

77th Infantry Division had the highest kill ratio out of any Army or Marine division in the Pacific. 44,000 Killed by the 77th on Leyte. I read about this guy in a book called "Through These Portals":A Pacific war saga.

[InfernalBlaze3D]

@Elphaba88 Good luck to you, mate! Do him honor!

[TazHall]

@GooglFascists I only hope my life can be as beneficial to others as his. He was a gem of a human being; a human national treasure. I hope I can be as sold out to God as he was.

[mgwilliams1000]

@indydude100 Yes, "his wife to be" gave him his Bible before departing for basic training. He wanted to serve, wear a uniform for his country... he just did not want to kill. Probably the most greatest story of any soldier who served. Even Audie Murphy said that "Desmond Doss makes what I did seem miniscule".

[indydude100]

I read this in 10 true tales World War II Heros by Allan Zullo. ''Hero Without A Gun'' Pvt. 1st Class. Didn't his marry before he left? And didn't his wife givwe him the Bible?

[candr]

There is a story that his award was for saving the 75 men from the escarpment, but the men he served with said it was 100 and Doss underplayed it and said it was only 50, so the Army split the difference and recorded 75. He never saw the incredible job he did as anything that was not expected of him, always the humble individual that only wish was to do what in his mind was good.

[mgwilliams1000]

Must read thebook "The Unlikliest Hero". In 1962 all the living WWII MOH awardees voted to have Doss represent them at a White House ceremony. I helped my wife (An ex-Army nurse and Trauma RN, now passed herself) write a story about combat medics for the base newspaper at NAS Lemoore, Ca. In our research we found that most MOH receipients were Army and Navy medics/corpsmen.

[GooglFascists]

Maybe once in a lifetime we run onto a man or woman who is so unique,

so special, so dedicated to serving their God and humanity, that the world

truly isn't worthy of them. We hear this story of Desmond Doss and our

hair literally stands up and chill bumps break out at the thought of ANYONE

having that much sheer courage and compassion for their fellow man.

Desmond Doss is proof that a life given over completely to God is a life

filled with incredible miracles. Thanks Lord, for Desmond

[havenoneatall]

No greater love has any man then one who would lay down his life for another. Desmond Doss lived for this, and the world seemed a better place for it! Though he survived, so many others didn't. Patriotism isn't exemplified in politicians, it's the likes of Desmond Doss, a simple man, but with a great love of country. There are so very few!

[candr]

Had the great honor to have met the gentleman a couple of years before his death. Quite spoken man of great dignity. Hero's come in many levels, this man is the top of the heap because he chose to serve without killing which is much harder to do in the heat of battle.