Desmond Doss
Desmond Doss | |
|---|---|
 Doss about to receive the Medal of Honor in October 1945 | |
| Birth name | Desmond Thomas Doss |
| Born | February 7, 1919 Lynchburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | March 23, 2006 (aged 87) Piedmont, Alabama, U.S. |
| Buried | Chattanooga National Cemetery, Chattanooga, Tennessee |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch |  United States Army Medical Department |
| Years of service | 1942–1946 |
| Rank | .svg){kind=small} Corporal |
| Service number | 33158036 |
| Unit | Company B, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division |
| Battles / wars | World War II |
| Awards |  Medal of Honor Bronze Star Medal (2 & "V") Purple Heart (3) |
| Spouse(s) |
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| Children | Desmond Doss Jr. (b. 1946) |
| Relations | Harold Doss |
Desmond Doss (February 7, 1919 – March 23, 2006) grew up in Lynchburg, Virginia and was a Seventh-day Adventist, which meant he was a pacifist. He did not believe in violence and chose not to use or carry weapons. He vowed not to kill.[1]
He was a combat medic in the United States Army during World War II. During the Battle of Okinawa, he saved 75 soldiers that were left behind and wounded. He tied them in a special knot and lowered them safely down the ridge. He was the first pacifist to receive the Medal of Honor.
He received the purple heart.[2] After the war, Desmond Doss was awarded with many medals. In addition to his medal of honor, he also received a bronze star for valor with one Oak Leaf Cluster (signifying two bronze stars), the Asiatic-Pacific campaign medal with three bronze stars, and beachhead arrowhead (which signifies that he served in 4 combat campaigns including an amphibious landing under combat conditions, and the good conduct medal, in addition to the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaf clusters (signifying three Purple Hearts) he recieved.[3]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "Dictionary of Virginia Biography - Desmond Thomas Doss (7 February 1919-23 March 2006) Biography". www.lva.virginia.gov.
- ↑ "The Real 'Hacksaw Ridge' Soldier Saved 75 Souls Without Ever Carrying A Gun". NPR.org.
- ↑ Herndon, Booton (2016). Redemption at Hacksaw Ridge. Remnant Publications. p. Foreword. ISBN 978-1-629131-55-9. Archived from the original on February 6, 2018.
