Desmond Doss

When drafted into the military during World War II, Desmond Doss (1919-2006), like almost all Seventh-day Adventists of his generation, refused to undergo arms training or carry a weapon into combat.  He was assigned to the Pacific theatre as a medic where he distinguished himself for his remarkable valor.  In one incident, Doss personally carried 75 wounded men, one by one, off of a fire-swept battlefield, exposing himself repeatedly to a barrage of mortar and heavy machine-gun fire in order to save lives without any regard for his own safety.  He became the first (and only World War II) conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor, America’s highest military award. The 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge portrayed his heroism and the story that earned him this award.

Additional Resources:

• Wikipedia

• The Real Desmond Doss Story (Seventh-day Adventist Religious Liberty)

• Desmond T. Doss, 87, Heroic War Objector, Dies (Richard Goldstein, New York Times, 25 March 2006)

• The Unlikeliest Hero: The Story of Desmond T. Doss (Booton Herndon, 1967)

• The Conscientious Objector (Documentary, Terry Benedict, 2004)

• Hacksaw Ridge (Film, Mel Gibson, 2016)