The Unlikelist Hero

The Unlikeliest Hero’s

Excerpts and quotes are used from the book "Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector" Written by Frances M. Doss

December 7, 1941 it is a day that lives on today as an important moment in our country’s history.

It is the day that Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt stated that it was a day that would “live in infamy”.

The attack on Pearl Harbor moved a sleeping giant from the background to the forefront of a world war.

Deep in the masses of men who would join and serve in the fight was a young man who desired to be of service.

Conflicted however because of his personal views and beliefs he made the leap with the hope that he could maintain his beliefs while helping others.

His name was Desmond Doss, he was a local boy, grew up just a couple of hours away from here in Lynchburg, VA.

Now let me say this, there is a Hollywood movie made that told a story about this man, this soldier but understand that this is only a glimpse into who he was and as Hollywood does there are some liberty’s taken in the story telling. For the most part there is a lot of accuracy, but they had to do a couple of things to make it lively.

First they had to flesh out the Desmond’s surroundings a bit more, the problem was that he was a humble man.

Not one that needed to be the center of attention, not one to stand out in a crowd, he had a servant’s heart, so they had to translate that to film.

The other thing and this is from the director of the film, they could not include everything that Desmond did because the audience wouldn’t believe it was true.

Early in on Desomond’s life he took to the word of God and its application in his life.

God’s design and plan moves through our lives like a silent chess player, moving the pieces strategically maneuvering with a plan and purpose.

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Before Desmond was born, his father was at an auction house, a picture of the Ten Commandments was being offered and his father paid 10 cents for it. His father would later recollect that he had no idea why he bought it, he gave it to his wife and she hung it up in their living room. Some years later when Desmond was born he would pull a chair up to that picture and look at it.

Doss remembered thinking while looking at the sixth commandment “Thou shalt not kill” which was illustrated by a picture of Cain, with a club in his hands, standing over the dead body of his brother Abel just after killing him, he would think “How could a brother do such a thing”. It was that thought process that drove him to strive to become an army medic when he was drafted.

When he attended the drafting board he had requested to keep his religious practices in place, he did not want to carry a weapon and wanted to have Saturdays as his sabbath due to his religion and he wanted to be registered as a noncombatant.

The draft officer questioned him and said what if everyone felt the same way?

Doss’s reply was a simple one, “if they all felt that way then there would be no wars”.

Desmond was registered as a conscientious objector, though he did not like that label because so many people with that label demonstrated against the government or wouldn’t salute the flag.

Doss respected the flag and desired to do what he could within his particular principles, it was a simple thought, soldiers will get hurt and he could help them by being a medic.

Doss was called up on April 1st 1942, could you imagine that, April fool’s day.

Doss faced a lot of criticism from other soldiers and officers due to his desire to maintain Saturdays as his or as he states God’s sabbath. He would attend church, pray and read the bible during that time off.

To the world were going to be different.

To world were should be unique, peculiar.

1 Peter 2:9

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.

People that do not know God will not directly understand our belief in him.

And if we put ourselves in their shoes just for a second, we may be able to understand that.

Our sacrifices, our actions, our belief’s look pretty crazy to people that do not understand or have not experienced what many of us have.