Introduction: Desmond Doss was given many nicknames for his bravery but none caught on like, “The Wonderman of Okinawa”. Desmond Doss was a soldier who fought in World War Two. He rescued seventy-five men from thousands of bullets. He served as a medic during his three battles. Doss is famous and influential for having done all of this, without carrying any weapon whatsoever. For this bravery, he earned a Presidential Medal of Honor.
Life Before the War: Before the war, Desmond Doss was not always the brave soldier people know him as today, he was once just a boy living in Virginia. Desmond Doss was born on February 7th, 1919 in Lynchburg, Virginia to parents William Thomas Doss and Bertha Edward Oliver Doss. He was raised as a 7th Day Adventist…show more content… While in boot camp, he was harassed by his fellow boot camp members and even had boots thrown at him while he prayed. Because of this, there were multiple attempts to remove him from boot camp. (Desmond Doss, the unlikely hero behind Hacksaw Ridge) In 1944 he was shipped to the Pacific and was a medic in Guam. He earned a bronze star for valor in Guam and got another for his valor in Leyte shortly after. Doss was later sent to Okinawa and for several days went under intense fire to save his fellow soldiers and was ordered to retreat but he refused to leave men to die atop the cliff. (National WWII Museum) Doss was the last man to leave and saved man after man, each time he asked god to let him save just one more man, by night he had saved seventy-five men including the ones who harassed him during boot camp. Desmond Doss, the unlikely hero behind Hacksaw Ridge. Days later he was severely wounded but treated himself and waited five hours to be rescued and later insisted a more badly wounded man take his spot on the stretcher. He also made a makeshift splint out of a rifle stock for his arm that was shot, and with that splint, he crawled three hundred yards to safety. Virginia.gov, Desmond Doss, the unlikely hero behind Hacksaw Ridge. During his time in the military, Doss went above and beyond what was expected by risking his life dozens of times to save the men that harassed him, so that they…show more content… When he got home, Doss was widely recognized for his bravery and was one of fifteen soldiers to receive a Medal of Honor. (Virginia.gov) Afterward, he went to his hometown to attend a parade in his honor. Later in his life, he was diagnosed with tuberculosis, which caused him to lose a lung. Due to having only one lung, he was given one hundred percent disability which gave him a stable income. (American Legion) After his wounds, he was never able to work a full-time job, and later he lost his hearing. Doss’s wife Dorothy passed away and he later got married to Frances Doss with whom he lived the rest of his life. American Legion Doss sadly passed away in 2006 when he was eighty-seven. He said, “Being a medic was the most rewarding work there is.” (Desmond Doss, the unlikely hero behind Hacksaw Ridge). After his passing, there were two movies made about him, named, “The Conscientious Objector” (A title he was given and hated) and “Hacksaw Ridge” (American Legion). Desmond Doss lived a long and complete life and during his time in the military, he made sure others could do the same. He represents both a hero, a veteran, and most importantly, a common man. He will forever be remembered as the hero without a
