Jehovah's Witnesses Refuse to Serve in the Military
01 Nov '11 08:061 editUnlike the Jehovah's Witnesses who refuse to serve in the military Desmond
Doss, a seventh Day Adventist, served as a conscientious objecter in the U.S.
Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division.
He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.
After a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed
into them, Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept
area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge
of the escarpment.
On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a
wounded man 200 yards (180 m) 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 (7.3 m) 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 May 5, he unhesitatingly braved
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 (7.6 m) from the enemy position, rendered aid, and
carried him 100 yards (91 m) to safety while continually exposed to enemy
fire.
On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in
exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking
his life to give 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 by a sniper bullet, 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 (270 m) 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss
Doss, a seventh Day Adventist, served as a conscientious objecter in the U.S.
Army assigned to the Medical Detachment, 307th Infantry, 77th Infantry Division.
He was the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor.
After a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machinegun fire crashed
into them, Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept
area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge
of the escarpment.
On May 2, he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire in rescuing a
wounded man 200 yards (180 m) 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 (7.3 m) 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 May 5, he unhesitatingly braved
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 (7.6 m) from the enemy position, rendered aid, and
carried him 100 yards (91 m) to safety while continually exposed to enemy
fire.
On May 21, in a night attack on high ground near Shuri, he remained in
exposed territory while the rest of his company took cover, fearlessly risking
his life to give 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 by a sniper bullet, 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 (270 m) 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desmond_Doss
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