Oct 26, 2011 desmond doss was the only man to win the congressional medal of honor while serving under conscientious objector status. Sep 20, 2017 from a young age, desmond doss born february 7, 1919 radiated the kind of empathy that hed display as a soldier later in life. They viewed him with distain and called him a misfit. Doss 7 february 1919 23 march 2006 was the first conscientious objector he detested that phrase, preferring conscientious cooperator to receive the medal of honor and one of only three so honored. Desmond thomas doss february 7, 1919 march 23, 2006 was a united states army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in. Desmond doss born in lynchburg, virginia, 1919, to william thomas doss, a carpenter, and bertha oliver doss. Desmond had an older sister named audrey and a younger brother named harold. On october 12, 1945, president harry truman presented the medal of honor, the united states militarys highest decoration for valor under fire, to one of the most remarkable american heroes of world war ii, desmond thomas doss. Truman warmly shook the hand of corporal desmond thomas doss pictured above, and then held it the entire time his citation was read aloud to those gathered outside the white house on october 12, 1945. Desmond thomas doss 19192006 rank, duty position and unit at time of action. Desmond refused to carry a gun, but that doesnt mean he went into battle unarmed. Sep 18, 2018 desmond doss and his wife frances at his medal of honor ceremony. During the great depression, he stopped attending school after the ninth grade to help out his family, working in a shipyard when wwii broke out.
Desmond dawes is a strict believer in seventhday adventists. I read a book about desmond t doss and since i was raised sda i. A boy called flaming likes desmond thomas doss best. Doss further distinguished himself in the battle of okinawa by saving 75 men, becoming the only conscientious objector to receive the medal of honor. Vintage signed 5 x 3 12 photo of medal of honor recipent desmond doss. Born on february 7, 1919, doss was a conscientious objector at the start of wwii, but turned down a shipyard deferment because he wanted to serve in the army but not carry a weapon. Satyagraha means holding onto truth and the campaign for india independence, which was eventually obtained, called for selfsuffering rather. Doss, born in 1919, was raised with a strong belief in the bible and the ten commandments, attending a seventhday adventist church. Desmond dawes refused to be armed to kill, and was seen as an outlier and a coward in the army. He could have gotten a deferment because he worked as a ship joiner at a shipyard in newport news, virginia, but he wanted to serve his country. The council found a producer, bill mechanic, who agreed to the stipulations and transferred the rights after months of.
This is the ethos that corporal desmond thomas doss lived by every day. Hacksaw ridge biopic commemorates selfless service of. Desmond doss, whose life and heroics were featured in the oscarwinning film. Wset the national dday memorial is hosting desmond doss jr. Real heros among all mankind, those who are strong, upright, brave and merciful are heroes. It also covers his life after he received the medal of honor. Truman warmly shook the hand of corporal desmond thomas doss, and then held it the entire time his citation was read aloud to those gathered outside the. Doss trained as a military medic and proved himself a selfless hero during the fierce battle for okinawa. Desmond thomas doss was born in lynchburg, virginia in 1919. On april 1, 1942, desmond doss joined the united states army. Desmond thomas doss was born on february 17, 1919 in lynchburg, virginia.
Army, he was assigned to the medical detachment, 307th infantry, 77th infantry division, and received his award for bravery near urasoe. Army, medical detachment, 307th infantry, 77th infantry. In researching the hacksaw ridge true story, we learned that desmond doss was drafted into the united states army in april 1942. Feb 03, 2020 the 2016 movie hacksaw ridge tells the story of desmond doss, a conscientious objector who earned the congressional medal of honor for his heroism as an unarmed medic during the 1945 battle. Dictionary of virginia biography desmond thomas doss. His older sister, audrey, was born in 1916 and his younger brother, harold, was born in 1922. Share your thoughts, experiences and the tales behind the art. He lived up to the armys warrior ethos and the core army values and did not deviate from those even though his religious beliefs forbade him from carrying a weapon or killing another even in combat. Born on february 19, 1919 in lynchburg virginia, desmond grew up as a seventhday adventist, a religious denomination whose sixth commandment is thou shalt not kill. A religious seventhday adventist, doss asked for noncombatant status when he was drafted in 1942, but he was told that he could only serve as a c. Desmond thomas doss full biography and profile desmond thomas doss february 7, 1919 march 23, 2006 was a united states army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in world war ii. See more ideas about desmond doss, hacksaw ridge, hacksaws. Desmond thomas doss february 7, 1919 march 23, 2006 was a. Doss, who passed away in 2006, grew up to be one of the greatest examples of love and kindness of the century as he served as an unarmed u.
Desmond doss was the only man to win the congressional medal of honor while serving under conscientious objector status. Born on february 7, 1919, doss was a conscientious objector at the. Desmond doss signed the my copy of his book unlikeliest hero cmh. When he was a child, for example, he once walked six miles to donate blood to an accident victim a complete stranger after hearing about the need for blood on a local radio station. Born in lynchburg, virginia in 1919, doss was raised as a strict seventh day adventist, a protestant christian denomination. The real hacksaw ridge soldier saved 75 souls without ever.
On october 12, 1945, us army medic desmond doss became the first conscientious objector to be awarded the medal of honor. Doss story also has an unlikely quality to it that makes it all the more appealing. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most. Army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company during the second world war 1, 2. Desmond doss, the story of the war hero behind hacksaw ridge. Enlisting voluntarily in april 1942, doss refused to kill an enemy soldier or carry a weapon into combat because of his personal beliefs as a seventhday adventist. The illinois native was the valedictorian of her high school class. Hacksaw ridge movie, hacksaw ridge quotes, movie quotes, book quotes. Raised as a strict seventh day adventist, he became a deacon of. February 7, 2019, marks 100 years since desmond thomas doss s birth in lynchburg, virginia. Corporal desmond doss served in world war ii with b company, 1st battalion, 307th.
His illness progressed and at the age of 87, corporal desmond thomas doss died on march 23, 2006. He was the middle child of william thomas and bertha oliver doss. Desmond doss simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Desmond thomas doss was born on february 7, in lynchburg, virginia, son of william thomas doss, a carpenter, and bertha e. His story inspired multiple feature films and books.
His father, william thomas doss, 18931989 was a carpenter, while his mother, bertha edward doss, 18991983 was a homemaker, and shoe factory worker. Hacksaw ridge film analysis 1020 words internet public. He became a medic and, while serving in the pacific theatre of world war ii,helped his. The council found a producer, bill mechanic, who agreed to the stipulations and transferred the rights after months of negotiation to the producer. Doss was the wife of the world war ii hero and congressional medal of honor recipient, desmond t. He was married to frances duman and dorothy schutte.
Desmond doss is credited with saving 75 soldiers during one of the bloodiest battles of world war ii in the pacific and he did it without ever. Doss, who as an unarmed army medic saved the lives of dozens of fellow soldiers under fire on okinawa in world war ii and. The authorized and only book ever written on the childhood and teenage years of desmond t doss. Dictionary of virgin ia biography desmond thomas doss biography des mond thomas doss 7 february 191923 march 2006, recipient of the medal of honor, was born in lynchburg and was the son of william thomas doss, a carpenter, and bertha edward oliver doss, who worked at the craddockterry company shoe factory. Doss was born on february 7, 1919 in lynchburg, virginia, usa as desmond thomas doss. When i first read about desmond doss in a comic book published in 1948, i had a hard time believing he actually did what the book. Desmond thomas doss was bo r n in lynchburg, virginia, in 1919. Army, medical detachment, 307th infantry, 77th infantry division, 10th army.
As luck would have it, he was assigned to an infantry rifle company. Desmond doss project gutenberg selfpublishing ebooks. Doss was twice awarded the bronze star medal for his service in guam and philippines in 1944. Army but refused to kill or carry a weapon into combat because of his personal beliefs as a seventhday adventist. Raised with a fervent belief in the bible and the seventhday adventist faith, doss took the ten commandments, personallyespecially the words, thou shalt not kill. During the second world war, desmond thomas doss dismissed several.
Pdf desmond doss conscientious objector download full. Hacksaw ridge vs the true story of desmond doss, medal of. Desmond doss quotes 761 words internet public library. There have been many other battles and victories for the man known as the unlikeliest hero, and this book tells those stories. Doss, conscientious objector who won his nations highest military honor 1967 by booton herndon desmond doss conscientious objector. He is buried in the national cemetery, chattanooga. Desmond thomas doss 7 february 191923 march 2006, recipient of the medal of honor, was born in lynchburg and was the son of william thomas doss, a carpenter, and bertha edward oliver doss, who worked at the craddockterry company shoe factory. See more ideas about desmond doss, hacksaw ridge, hero. Corporal desmond thomas dosss life will never leave a fallen comrade. Unwavering in his faith, courage, and conviction, desmond doss will always be a reminder to the world of what it truly means to be an american hero.
Desmond doss was born on february 7, 1919, in lynchburg, virginia, usa. The book tells of desmonds early life through the extensive use of flashbacks as doss is crossing the ocean on a troopship. Desmond thomas doss february 7, 1919 march 23, 2006 was a united states army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in world war ii. The 2016 movie hacksaw ridge tells the story of desmond doss. Frequently asked questions and answers about desmond t. With the 2017 academy awards still fresh in our memories, i thought it was fitting to highlight world war ii army pfc. The faith of desmond doss not only tells the incredible true story of desmond doss, the inspiration for the movie hacksaw ridge, but more importantly, it tells the reader about his faith. The soldier who saved just one more north american. The true story of desmond doss is the story of a young man who was a conscious objector who became a medic in world war ii and won the.
I consider this a greater honor than being president. Mar 23, 2006 desmond thomas doss february 7, 1919 march 23, 2006 was a united states army corporal who served as a combat medic with an infantry company in world war ii. His mother raised him as a devout seventh day adventist and instilled sabbath keeping, nonviolence, and a vegetarian lifestyle in his upbringing. He was the son of william and bertha doss, a carpenter and a shoe. Desmond thomas doss 2006 wwii signed photo medal of honor hacksaw ridge. Little did he realize that three and a half years later, he would be standing on the white house lawn, receiving the nations highest award for his bravery and courage under fire. Corporal desmond doss receiving the congressional medal of honor. Doss, desmond thomas, tommy, born 07121919 in lynchburg, virginia, the son of william thomas doss, a carpenter, and bertha e. Frances may sherman doss 19222009 find a grave memorial. For the rest of his life, he survived on a single lung, until it too failed. Desmond doss biography facts, childhood, family life.
Shifty and skip desmond thomas doss the real desmond. Find out what inspired this young man to honor god, family, and country, and to go on to become one of americas greatest heroes. Save desmond doss signed to get email alerts and updates on your ebay feed. Desmond doss was a man of character, principle, and courage. Sep 08, 2019 the north american division of the seventhday adventist church appreciates the care and attention to detail brought to the telling of desmond doss unique, unparalleled story of faith by the filmmakers in the production of hacksaw ridge. Honoring wwii medic and conscientious objector desmond doss, who saved 75 men in a single night in okinawa during the bloodiest battle of wwii. He could have gotten a deferment due to his employment, but he wanted to serve his country and answered the draft. This book about desmond doss was written by his second wife. She had been a piedmont resident for the past four years where she was a charter member of piedmont seventhday adventist church and was a. He was twice awarded the bronze star medal for actions in guam and the philippines.
He went to work for a lumber company after completing one year of high school. They met when she came to his church selling adventist books. Doss of lynchburg, virginia, was one of those men, though he personally shunned the title of conscientious objector. Doss, born oliver, a homemaker and shoe factory worker. The president of the united states of america, in the name of congress, takes pleasure in presenting the medal of honor to private first class desmond thomas doss, united states army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty from april 29 21 may 1945, while serving with the medical detachment. As the illness progressed his left lung had to be surgically removed along with five ribs. At the age of 87, corporal desmond thomas doss died on march 23, 2006, after being hospitalized with difficulty breathing. Corporal desmond doss served in world war ii with b company, 1st battalion, 307th infantry regiment, 77th infantry division. Joseph badal is an awardwinning author who has written ten suspense novels, including the motive, which was released on july 19, 2016. A conscientious objector or as he called himself, a conscientious cooperator desmond doss refused to kill an enemy soldier or carry a weapon into combat because of his. Desmond legally chartered the desmond doss council and gave them the rights to his story if a film could be made that was true to the facts, his beliefs and his church.
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