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Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Desmond Doss, succumbs at 87
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From NAD Communication ======================================= Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, Desmond Doss, succumbs Desmond T. Doss, Sr., has died at 87 years of age. He was the only
conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor
during World War II and a long-time member of the Georgia-Cumberland
Conference of Seventh-day Adventists. Doss passed away Thursday morning, March 23, 2006, at his residence in
Piedmont, Alabama. He is survived by his wife Frances, his son, Desmond
T. Doss, Jr., and his brother, Harold Doss. He was preceded in death by
his first wife Dorothy Schutte and his sister Audrey Millner. Doss never liked being called a conscientious objector. He preferred
the term conscientious cooperator. Raised a Seventh-day Adventist, Doss
did not believe in using a gun or killing because of the sixth
commandment which states, "Thou shalt not kill" (Exodus 20:13). Doss
was a patriot however, and believed in serving his country. During World War II, instead of accepting a deferment, Doss voluntarily
joined the Army as a conscientious objector. Assigned to the 307th
Infantry Division as a company medic he was harassed and ridiculed for
his beliefs, yet he served with distinction and ultimately received the
Congressional Medal of Honor on October 12, 1945 for his fearless acts
of bravery. According to his Medal of Honor citation, time after time, Doss'
fellow soldiers witnessed how unafraid he was for his own safety. He was
always willing to go after a wounded fellow, no matter how great the
danger. On one occasion in Okinawa, he refused to take cover from enemy
fire as he rescued approximately 75 wounded soldiers, carrying them
one-by-one and lowering them over the edge of the 400-foot Maeda
Escarpment. He did not stop until he had brought everyone to safety
nearly 12 hours later. When Doss received the Medal of Honor from President Truman, the
President told him, "I'm proud of you, you really deserve this. I
consider this a greater honor than being President." Doss' exemplary devotion to God and his country has received
nationwide attention. On July 4, 2004, a statue of Doss was placed in
the National Museum of Patriotism in Atlanta, Ga., along with statues of
Dr. Martin Luther King, President Jimmy Carter, and retired Marine Corps
General Gray Davis, also a Medal of Honor recipient. Also in 2004, a
feature-length documentary called "The Conscientious Objector,"
telling Doss' story of faith, heroism, and bravery was released. A
feature movie describing Doss' story is also being planned. Statement from the Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America
"The Seventh-day Adventist Church in North America expresses its
deepest sorrow in the loss of Desmond Doss. Desmond is considered to be
a role model - especially to many of our members in the Seventh-day
Adventist Church. His decision to not bear arms in the most dangerous of
times was a courageous and heroic decision that has in turn affected
many lives. We are proud to have had Desmond as a member of our
Church." - Pastor Don Schneider, President of the Seventh-day
Adventist Church in North America About the Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a mainstream Protestant church with
approximately 14 million members worldwide which includes more than 1
million members in North America. The Seventh-day Adventist Church seeks
to enhance quality of life for people everywhere and to let people know
that Jesus is coming soon again.
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