Kazushi desmond thomas doss He did not like calling himself a conscientious objector.
It is true that his beliefs as a devout Seventh-day Adventist prohibited him from owning a weapon, but when he was drafted into World War II, he did not consider refusing military service. It was. He also did not apply for a reprieve, which he would no doubt have been entitled to, because of his work at Newport News Shipyards.
Doss believed the war was just and was eager to serve his country. But for him, that meant helping his fellow soldiers as a medic. Therefore, he considered himself a “conscientious participant.”
His fellow non-commissioned officers couldn’t tell the difference. They just thought he was a coward. He was constantly blacked out and ostracized during his basic training, and his commanders repeatedly attempted to have him discharged.
Doss stood his ground and soon proved his courage, earning a Bronze Star for treating wounded under fire in Guam and the Philippines. It was in Okinawa that Doss performed his most amazing act of courage. After suffering heavy losses on a cliff known as Hacksaw Ridge (which became the title of Mel Gibson’s Fine) 2016 movies Doss), Doss’s company was ordered to retreat.
However, about 75 wounded soldiers were left behind. Doss single-handedly rescued them and lowered them one by one to the bottom of the cliff using ropes. Doss miraculously survived this battle unscathed, but he was later seriously injured. He also developed tuberculosis. In 1945, he became the only conscientious objector during World War II to receive the Medal of Honor.
A 1987 interview with Doss sheds light on a man willing to charge into battle unarmed. I am my family. There’s something about combat that actually brings you closer together. They trusted me. ”
