In this interview with Greg Laurie at the SoCal Harvest Crusade in late August, Hacksaw Ridge director Mel Gibson outlines why the story of Desmond Doss needs to be shared. Elsewhere, Gibson also talks about a potential follow up to another of his powerful films with religious influence – The Passion of the Christ.
In this 30-minute special, World War II hero Desmond Doss is reunited with colleagues, comrades and friends from his early life. It’s a unique opportunity to hear how this hero who never touched a gun changed people’s lives – not just those he saved on the battlefield.
Order your free copy of the book reviewed in this article – The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge.
The opening of Hacksaw Ridge tells us that this film is a true story. And this may arouse some cynicism in people. Some may wonder how much of the story that Hacksaw Ridge tells really is true, and question just how the faith and belief of one man could make such a difference in the world around him.
But the story of Private Desmond Doss is true — and it’s even more remarkable for being so. If you want to find out more about the life of Desmond Doss, Hero of Hacksaw Ridge is a great place to start. Hero of Hacksaw Ridge is an abridged version of historian Booton Herndon’s book The Unlikeliest Hero, which is an authorised biography. It shows you much more about the life of Doss than the film does, including many of his heroic acts in saving men injured in battles prior to the assault on Hacksaw Ridge.
Hero of Hacksaw Ridge provides some historical detail that gives greater context to the situation Doss finds himself in. This detail aids in further understudying the conditions surrounding being a conscientious objector, including how the Congress of the United States specifically wrote provisions for conscientious objectors to be assigned to medical departments into their military draft law following WWI. Information is also given about Army medical training and exercises.
It’s no dry text though — it’s a book you don’t want to put down as you read more about Doss’s life, including childhood experiences, all of which show he was always a caring, giving individual who was deeply concerned with the welfare of others. This carried over into his military training days, where he was actually treated harshly because he was so different and resented for not participating in rifle training. His unpopularity grew over his insistence on keeping the Sabbath, the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s day of worship. There were even threats to kill him in combat. And yet he kept helping, assisting and caring. Over time, this earned him not only respect, but undying loyalty.
There’s a conscientiousness about Doss that extends far beyond being a conscientious objector — he was dedicated to everything he put his hand to, didn’t back down on his convictions and was courageous. This courage is on display when it comes to the chapters about his service as an Army medic. Hacksaw Ridge is not the only place here he saved the lives of many men, putting his own life at risk to do so. The first place he sees action is in Guam, where he goes out on patrols even though he doesn’t have to. When questioned why he makes so much of an effort, Doss says, “I know these men; they’re my buddies. They have families, some have wives and children. If they’re hurt, I want to be there to take care of them.”
The chapters on the assault on Hacksaw Ridge, the work Doss did in rescuing so many injured men and his own injuries are excellent and moving, scattered with a mixture of hope and tragedy. Doss is more than deserving of the honours he received for bravery. The full text of the Congressional Medal of Honor citation is included in Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. The Congressional Medal of Honor wasn’t the only award Doss received for his heroic acts — he also received a Bronze Star for valour, the Purple Heart with two Oak Leaves and a number of other medals.
In addition to the biography of Desmond Doss, a 32-page exploration of the Seventh-day Adventist faith has been included in the book as a post-script. This is a worthwhile read if you want to find out more about the beliefs that motivated Doss.
You can’t help but be inspired as you read Hero of Hacksaw Ridge. In reading this biography of a man who was never satisfied with doing the bare minimum for others, but entirely satisfied with living a modest life for himself, I was moved and challenged. What am I doing to make the world around me a better place? What can I do to help those around me? How are the principles I live by making a difference?
Image courtesy of Desmond Doss Council.
Read through the official citation below, and you’ll see that his achievements extend far beyond the unbelievable events portrayed in the movie Hacksaw Ridge.
We think you’ll find it’s on a different level than that of the other citations you can find online. Desmond Doss stood tall day in, day out. Read for yourself.
He was a company aid man when the 1st Battalion assaulted a jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back.
Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying them 1 by 1 to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands.
On 2 May, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the lines on the same escarpment; and 2 days later he treated 4 men who had been cut down while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through a shower of grenades to within 8 yards of enemy forces in a cave’s mouth, where he dressed his comrades’ wounds before making 4 separate trips under fire to evacuate them to safety.
On 5 May, he unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small arms fire to assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his patient to a spot that offered protection from small arms fire and, while artillery and mortar shells fell close by, painstakingly administered plasma. Later that day, when an American was severely wounded by fire from a cave, Pfc. Doss crawled to him where he had fallen 25 feet from the enemy position, rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire.
On 21 May, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking the chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating Japanese and giving aid to the injured until he was himself seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited 5 hours before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy tank attack and Pfc. Doss, seeing a more critically wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter; and directed the bearers to give their first attention to the other man.
Awaiting the litter bearers’ return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound fracture of 1 arm. With magnificent fortitude he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the aid station.
Through his outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions Pfc. Doss saved the lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.
We accessed this official record on the Congressional Medal of Honour Society site.
Image courtesy of Desmond Doss Council.
The Medal of Honor is the highest military honour given out by the United States of America. It is awarded for personal acts of valour above and beyond the call of duty, and is presented by the President of the United States in the name of the US Congress. Because of this, the medal is often referred to as the Congressional Medal of Honor, but its official name is simply “Medal of Honor.”
Military personnel are the only ones eligible for the Medal of Honor, of which there are three versions — one for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Its history dates back to 1861, with a Navy medal called the “Medal of Valor.” The Army followed this in 1862 with the “Medal of Honor.” There have been more than 3500 Medals of Honor awarded since it was created, and March 25 was designated as “National Medal of Honor Day” in 1990 by the US Congress.
You can learn more about this prestigious military award at Wikipedia.
Desmond Doss (7 February, 1919 to 23 March, 2006) was born in Virginia, USA. He grew up with a mother devoted to God and a despondent father devoted to alcohol. It was his mother who fostered Doss’ faith and inspired him to develop his unique identity that set him apart from his peers from an early age.
His greatest defining moment was the night his father and uncle were fighting while drunk. Desmond’s father pulled out a gun pointing it at his uncle. His mother bravely stepped between the two, demanding that he hand over the weapon. The confrontation resulted in her securing the gun and passing it to Desmond, who she urged to run and hide it. Following this incident, Doss determined that he would never again hold another gun.
Ironically, it was Desmond’s father who was responsible for acquiring The Ten Commandments poster that was prominently displayed in the family home. It was the command not to kill that had a profound impact on Desmond. This was illustrated with Abel lying dead on the ground while his brother Cain loomed over him, club in hand. Desmond’s brother was his best friend and he could not comprehend how Cain had intentionally killed his own brother. Doss took this personally and an impression was embedded in his mind, “Desmond, if you love me you will not kill.”
This was the background that helped to define Doss’ character inspiring such unwavering faith and conviction. These were the building blocks that would certainly help Doss later withstand intense rejection and ridicule in order to fulfill God’s purpose for his life — a purpose that Doss, himself, could hardly have imagined.
Doss enlisted as a medic on 1 April, 1942. His deep inner conviction not to kill classified him as a conscientious objector — he preferred the title “conscientious co-operator.”
Doss was assigned to an infantry rifle company. From the very outset, he was alienated and rejected. They believed he was a coward hiding behind the guise of religion to avoid carrying out his duty.
Not only did Doss refuse to carry a weapon — he kept the Sabbath and was a vegetarian. His officers and fellow comrades mocked him, making it their personal mission to shame and intimidate Doss into taking up arms. One soldier from the battalion even threatened to shoot Doss if they were ever on the frontlines together.
Doss publicly prayed, read his Bible and refused to carry out duties from Friday sunset to Saturday sunset (his Sabbath). He was made to work 24 hours hard labour on a Sunday to make up for it. No-one understood why he kept doing it — not even the Jewish Officer whom he applied to every Friday for a pass. Eventually the Officer threatened to Court Martial him.
His captain wanted Doss discharged. He made a blanket rule that everyone in the battalion, regardless of duty, must carry a rifle. Doss refused, saying, “Don’t doubt me because I’ll be right by your side saving life while you take it.” When this attempt failed they tried to discharge him on the grounds of mental instability. Once again, Doss refused to accept the charge.
Doss was ever gracious in his quiet strength and determination. He did not blame the men for their constant harassment, but instead served them with dedication and humility. This was shown in 40C° heat during training in the Arizona Desert. Soldiers were dying from dehydration and Doss boldly approached the Commander in an effort to put an end to the inhumane conditions of those who had mistreated him.
Doss knew if he compromised just once it would jeopardise his faith. For two years, the Army labeled him a worthless liability. But Doss knew otherwise and, despite their rejection, he kept his eyes firmly fixed on pursuing the plan for which God had called him.
Image courtesy of Desmond Doss Council.
The same man who had been ostracised by the army soon became the object of their deep admiration and respect. He shipped out with the 307th Infantry in the summer of 1944, and served as a combat medic on Guam and at Leyte in the Philippines. Doss fearlessly charged into exposed areas under heavy artillery fire without a weapon to treat casualties and drag wounded soldiers to safety. Doss went out sometimes without orders or even against orders. He believed that as long as there was life there was hope.
The most fierce fighting of the war in the Pacific occurred at Okinawa on an escarpment approximately 90 metres high that was known as Hacksaw Ridge. On 29 April, 1945, a brutal battle was fought. The men were ordered to withdraw but Doss refused. He single-handedly spent 12 hours dragging 75 wounded and dying soldiers to the ledge before lowering them to safety. Some of the injured were hauled 100 metres. Doss was a slight man weighing around 70kg and yet at times he supported one soldier under each arm. Bullets whizzed past him, but he was not hit. One Japanese soldier claimed to have had clear shots of Doss as he worked that night, but each time he fired, the rifle jammed. Doss saved on average one man every 10 minutes. He prayed constantly, “Lord, please give me one more.”
Doss saw the grenade coming on 21 May, 1945. He waited hours for help before being carried through intense gunfire. When he spotted another wounded soldier Doss selflessly rolled off the litter and gave up his place. As he lay waiting for help a second time, he was hit by a sniper. Doss managed to make himself a splint and then, with 17 pieces of shrapnel in his body and a fractured arm, he crawled around 275 metres under fire to the aid station. Doss lost his Bible during this ordeal — it had been his source of constant strength throughout the war. When the company heard about the missing Bible, they returned to the battlefield and searched until they found it.
Doss allowed God to use him to share his faith and demonstrate the power of grace. “Greater love has no man than this” that he would risk his life over and over again for soldiers who had once ridiculed and despised him.
Following the battle at Okinawa, Doss was promoted to Corporal. His commanding officer claimed that on 29 April, 1945, Doss had in fact saved 100 lives. But Doss, ever humble, clarified this estimating the number at 50.
On 12 October, 1945, President Harry Truman presented Corporal Desmond Doss with the nation’s highest award, a Congressional Medal of Honor. “I’m proud of you,” Truman said. “You really deserve this. I consider this a greater honor than being president.”
Doss was the first conscientious objector to ever receive the medal. It was issued in acknowledgement of his “outstanding bravery and unflinching determination in the face of desperately dangerous conditions…” At the ceremony Doss publicly thanked God for giving him the opportunity to save the lives of the men he had served.
Doss was awarded many other medals, including two bronze stars for valor. Parades were held in his honour, highways in the United States were named after him, a guesthouse at a Medical Centre in Washington D.C. bears his name, as does a Christian Academy in Virginia. A monument of him stands in the Tennessee Veterans Memorial Park. In 2004, a documentary was made about him entitled The Conscientious Objector. And, more recently, Mel Gibson, acclaimed film director, has produced the film Hacksaw Ridge based on his story.
Doss was a corporal who never killed another human being, whose only weapon was his Bible and his faith in God. He was a man whose courage saved many lives and whose contribution to the war was immeasurable. While he was the recipient of many accolades — the accolades themselves were never important. What was important was remaining true to his deep inner convictions — convictions God had placed on him as a young boy growing up.
Image courtesy of Desmond Doss Council.
Following the war, Doss spent more than five years in hospital recovering from his injuries sustained during battle. Doctors also discovered that he had tuberculosis. One of his lungs was removed, as were five ribs. His disabilities prevented him from seeking employment and he spent his post-war years living on a modest pension.
Doss was honourably discharged from the army in 1946. Doss and his wife Dorothy, who he had married in 1942, had one son, Desmond Jr. They moved to Rising Fawn in Georgia in the 1950s, where they purchased five acres, farmed and built their home.
Doss continued to devote himself to God, working with young people in church-sponsored programmes including a military training camp in Michigan for Seventh-day Adventist youth. Doss was featured on the This Is Your Life television show in 1959, after which he received many public speaking engagements.
Dorothy died in 1991 and Doss remarried Frances Duman who wrote Desmond Doss: In God’s Care in 1998. It was later reprinted as Desmond Doss, Conscientious Objector in 2005. Doss died at the age of 87 on 23 March, 2006.
During his life Doss faced unscrupulous and relentless adversity that must at times have been crippling. The disappointment could easily have led to despair and bitterness but instead he chose to persevere. Doss did what he knew to be right, breaking down stereotypes, showing incredible commitment and devotion to the very soldiers who had once mocked and rejected him. Time and time again, he demonstrated fearless bravery and selfless compassion for the suffering of the men he served.
Doss’ strong faith, deep-rooted principles and his refusal to compromise with his conscience made him a man of integrity. God honoured Doss using him in ways far greater than he could ever have dreamt possible — in ways that are still playing out today nearly 75 years later.
Image courtesy of Desmond Doss Council.