Really touching story…

So in my latest round of Netflix fun I had rented a documentary called The Conscientious Objector. The summary sounded like it would be an awesome story, and I was definitely not disappointed! It was such a touching, fascinating story that I wanted to share a little here and spread this man’s name a bit… Desmond Doss.

Desmond Doss was an Army combat medic during World War II. He was listed under the status of “conscientious objector” as it was his religious beliefs as a Seventh Day Adventist that he should not kill, and therefore did not want to be forced to carry or use any weapons. He didn’t like this term, and preferred to be called a “conscientious cooperator” as he fully wanted to serve. When war broke out he was given the option for deferment due to a job he had at a navy shipyard, but he refused. He said there would be no greater honor than to serve God and his country. Throughout his training he was ridiculed by his unit because of his refusal to use a weapon. He was treated much worse than they, usually got stuck with the worst details, would get his right to furlough refused simply because his commanding officer didn’t like his attitude of not working with weapons.

Eventually they were all to see just what kind of man Desmond Doss was. During the Battle of Okinawa, at a high cliff they called the “Escarpment”, Desmond Doss singlehandedly brought 75 wounded men to safety, enduring heavy mortar, artillery, and machine gun fire all around him, and all with NO weapon to defend himself! One by one he dragged the wounded to the edge of the cliff where he would lower them by rope to safety down below. Each time he brought one he would pray “God please let me get just one more” and when he brought that one more, he would again pray “God please let me get just one more” and did so until he brought all 75 wounded back. They all said it was a miracle he made it through all of that without getting hit. They even had interviewed a Japanese fighter who had said he had Doss in his sights across the cliff but everytime he fired his gun in Doss’ direction, his gun would jam. This all gave me goosebumps!

This kind of bravery continued over the course of the next month at Okinawa, until finally Desmond Doss was wounded by a grenade explosion. As he was being carried out of the danger zone to safety, he saw a man who had just been wounded to the head and told his litter carriers to stop. He rolled off of the litter and told them to take this other man who was more severely wounded. He ended up waiting 5 hours to get picked up again, in the meantime had gotten shot in the arm which shattered it.

Because of his bravery and selflessness, and all the while refusing to take another’s life, his army peers recommended him for the Congressional Medal of Honor, the highest honor that can be bestowed. They say when President Harry Truman gave him his medal he was quoted as saying “You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being President.”

This was a really touching story, and I am in awe of this man… for his bravery, for his fearlessness, for his selflessness, and for his determination to stick to his convictions and beliefs and not letting anyone change him.