Desmond believed that his father would've killed his uncle (his mother's brother) if his mother hadn't stepped in. After doing so, young Desmond returned just in time to see his father being loaded into a black police wagon in handcuffs. She called the police and told Desmond to hide the gun. His father pulled a gun on his uncle but his mother stepped in. His father and uncle were drunk and got into a fight (the movie implies the fight was between Desmond's father and mother). "My dad bought this Ten Commandments and Lord's Prayer illustrated on a nice frame, and I had looked at that picture of the Sixth Commandment, 'Thou shalt not kill.' There's a picture that had Cain and he killed his brother Abel, and I wonder how in the world could a brother do such a thing? I've pictured Christ for savin' life, I wanna be like Christ go savin' life instead of takin' life and that's the reason I take up medicine."Ī defining moment in Desmond's life that perhaps helped to further shape his attitude toward guns and violence happened when he was a boy. "We were fightin' for our religious liberty and freedom." - The Conscientious Objector Documentaryįact-checking Hacksaw Ridge confirmed that he refused to carry a weapon because of his personal and religious beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist, which is part of the Protestant sect of Christianity. "I felt like it was an honor to serve God and country," Desmond said. During March 1944, he shipped out along with the rest of the 77th Division (the Statue of Liberty Division) for the Pacific Theater, first to Guam, then to Leyte in the Philippines, and finally to partake in the allied invasion of Okinawa, an island 340 miles south of mainland Japan (only the latter is chronicled in the movie). Electing not to bear arms, he made his way into the army medical corps. 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. In researching the Hacksaw Ridge true story, we learned that Desmond Doss was drafted into the United States army in April 1942. Desmond Doss, Medal of Honor: Oral Histories Here is a look at the most impressive Medal of Honor Recipients from each state.You can't always win, but when your buddies come to you and say they owe their life to me, what better reward can you get than that. Īlvin York and Desmond Doss are a testament to the Medal of Honor’s legacy of valor and sacrifice, and there are many more recipients with similar stories of heroism and courage. His story would go on to be told in the Oscar-winning film Hacksaw Ridge. At Hacksaw Ridge and under relentless enemy fire, he rushed into danger to save at least 75 lives in a single day. Doss’s story is different from many, embodying his philosophy of self-sacrifice. Desmond Doss, hailing from Virginia, refused to bear arms due to his faith and served as a medic in the Battle of Okinawa. York’s story would go on to be told on the silver screen, and the New York Times would herald him as “the war’s biggest hero.”Īnother conscientious objector achieved greatness but in World War II. At the front lines of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, outnumbered, he took 35 German machine gun nests out of action and captured 132 enemy soldiers. Hailing from Tennessee, York was drafted in the U.S. )Ĭonsidered the “ Greatest Civilian Soldier ” during World War I, Alvin York originally sought exemption from service as a conscientious objector but would later go to serve and become a legend. (Here are the most decorated war heroes in American history. Others on the list made major breakthroughs, such as the first Black American or the first and only woman. Nineteen men received two medals for actions in different wars, and many are listed as the most impressive in their state. The recipient’s rank is the rank at the time of action the medal was awarded for. Information about the recipient and the number of total medals attributed to the state, also came from the CMOHS database. It should be noted that for a recipient to be attributed to a certain state, they did not need to be born in that state, but rather enlist there. reviewed the Congressional Medal of Honor Society ‘s database of recipients throughout history to identify the most impressive recipient attributed to each state. military over the nation’s history, about 3,500 were awarded the Medal of Honor, exhibiting heroism, selflessness, devotion, and going above and beyond the call of duty. Of the more than 41 million people who have ever served in the U.S. The United States Medal of Honor, the highest military distinction, is awarded to recognize extraordinary acts of valor.
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