STORIES
Lifesaver
DONATE

Desmond Thomas Doss

by Monique from Ontario

A picture of Desmond Thomas Doss (I got this picture on google  (The USArmy.jpg))
A picture of Desmond Thomas Doss (I got this picture on google (The USArmy.jpg))

My hero is a soldier named Desmond Thomas Doss. He served in the army. In one of the wars it was World War 2, he was the first and only conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor for his actions above and beyond in the battle. What he did to receive the Medal. Doss refused to eliminate any enemy soldiers or carry a weapon into combat because of his personal beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. So instead of eliminating the enemy he was aiding wounded soldiers under fire. So for Doss's bravery he ended up with two Bronze Star Medals for aiding and saving over 75 lives.

Some facts about Doss, he served in the war on the year 1942 to year 1946. When Doss was in the army he was a corporal, I don't know if it was before or after he saved many lives. Also he stopped attending school after eight grade to help support his parents and brother and sister in the Great Depression. Then at the beginning of World War 2, he worked in a shipyard in Newport News, Virginia, in defense work. Another thing is that Doss married Dorthy Schutte in August 1942 and they had one child, Desmond JR. (or Tommy), born in 1946.

When Doss first enlisted and entered military service on April 1, 1942 at Camp Lee, in Virginia. He was a medic assigned to 2nd Platoon, B Company, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division. When Doss was wounded four times in the battle then Doss was diagnosed with tuberculosis, than cost him a lung and five ribs. Later on he was honorably discharged in August 1951.

So one day it was Thursday at Doss house in Piedmont, Ala. He was 87 years old, when Doss death was announced by his wife, Frances, who said he had recently been hospitalized with breathing difficulties. So that day Doss had died by breathing difficulties so Doss died on March 23, 2006 Piedmont, Alabama. But before Doss died his first wife Dorothy died in a car accident in 1991. Then Doss got married to Frances Duman.

So this is my hero Desmond Thomas Doss, and one last reason he is my hero is because I think he made a difference in other peoples lives. When people heard about him refusing to use weapons because of his beliefs, and he certainly changed me to think that if you have a beliefs you should follow it. Also you have a chose to do something or refuse to do what is agents of what you believe in. Like Doss didn't want to hurt people because of his beliefs. He wanted to help the people that were fighting for their right by healing their wounds. (I found this information on Wikipedia a free encyclopedia)

Page created on 12/2/2016 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 12/2/2016 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.