The Non-Violent Heroism of Desmond Doss

Sometimes the strongest courage comes from the most unusual circumstances. Desmond Doss, a Medal of Honor recipient in World War II, was a conscientious objector, or as he liked to term it, a conscientious cooperator. A conscientious objector is a person who, because of their belief system, typically religious, cannot participate in military combat. Doss was a Seventh Day Adventist, whose religious beliefs prevented him from killing others. He was also a patriot, who served on the front lines during WWII when he could have taken state-side service given his status. As a result, Doss never held a weapon and was excused from combat training (and ridiculed for it) during his time in the military. He became a combat medic, helping to save wounded soldiers. 

Doss saved many lives over many battles, and he is best known for his heroic actions in Okinawa in 1945 at a 400 foot cliff soldiers named Hacksaw Ridge. It was made into a movie of the same name in 2016. The soldiers were ordered to pull back under heavy fire, and the only way out was to scale down the side of the cliff, something only healthy soldiers could do. Doss stayed behind, bringing the wounded to the edge of the cliff, and then improvised a rope-and-litter system to slowly bring the wounded down the cliff using cargo nets. He ultimately saved over 75 soldiers who would have died on that cliff.

Doss’s heroism was dramatic. He was shot at while treating and recovering the wounded one-by-one. After his heroic rescues, he was injured multiple times, from gunshot wounds and grenade shrapnel. He repeatedly refused to leave, volunteering to give up his stretcher to carry those with “more severe” wounds.

Psychologists refer to a distinction between physical and moral courage. Moral courage is sticking to your principles no matter the cost. What is so unusual about Doss is that he displayed both forms of courage in so many battles. Being brave in so many ways, he gives us a shining example of how to model ourselves in our complex world.