Personal Narrative Film, Video Manuscript/Mixed Material Photo, Print, Drawing Desmond Thomas Doss Collection

Veterans History Project Service Summary:
- War or Conflict: World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Service Unit/Ship: B Company, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division
- Location of Service: Guam (Mariana Islands); Leyte Island (Philippines); Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Collection Number: AFC/2001/001/32978
Desmond Doss was the only man to win the Congressional Medal of Honor while serving under conscientious objector status. A religious Seventh-Day Adventist, Doss asked for non-combatant status when he was drafted in 1942, but he was told that he could only serve as a C.O. Doss trained as a military medic and proved himself a selfless hero during the fierce battle for Okinawa. When 75 wounded GIs were stranded atop the Maeda Escarpment, Doss personally made sure each one was lowered to safety, all of this taking place under enemy fire.
Interview / Recording
Share
-
PlayDrafted at 18, asking for non-combatant status; conflicts with other soldiers who didn't understand his conscientious objector status. 00:01:57.5 - 00:06:02.8
-
PlayTransferred to the medical corps; although his major was a Jew, he insisted Doss, like him, had to work on Saturdays; how Doss worked around that restriction. 00:09:54.6 - 00:13:38.2
-
PlayOn KP duty while his unit trained for combat; insisting on being served vegetarian meals. 00:34:22.9 - 00:36:27.4
-
PlayRainy conditions on Guam; friendly fire incidents; landing on Leyte; medics first off the ship; dealing snipers and a mine; sick with diarrhea; getting separated from his unit 00:48:52.3 - 00:59:53.8
More Resources
Interview / Recording
Share
-
PlaySad story about his buddy Glen, another medic who was wounded; coming to understand that minutes could be a matter of life and death on the battlefield. 00:00:24.4 - 00:05:23.9
-
PlayAnother battlefield rescue story. 00:10:19.8 - 00:12:50.9
-
PlayOn Okinawa, scaling an escarpment to care for wounded men trapped at the top; pinned down by enemy fire; his colleagues taking the fight to the entrenched Japanese; improvising a rope system to lower the wounded men. 00:19:24.7 - 00:30:42.0
Interview / Recording
Share
-
PlayOn Okinawa, scaling an escarpment to care for wounded men trapped at the top; pinned down by enemy fire; his colleagues taking the fight to the entrenched Japanese; improvising a rope system to lower the wounded men. (Part 2) 00:00:00.0 - 00:03:23.8
-
PlayAftermath of his actions; being nominated for a Congressional Medal of Honor; meeting President Truman. 00:03:58.2 - 00:06:10.3
Transcript
About this Item
Title
- Desmond Thomas Doss Collection
Names
- Willie, Michael Lloyd
- WRCB-TV Channel 3
- Bowen, Sarah
- Doss, Desmond Thomas
State of Residence at Time of Collection Donation
- Alabama
Headings
- - Doss, Desmond Thomas
- - World War, 1939-1945 -- Personal Narratives
- - United States. Army.
Repository
- Veterans History Project, American Folklife Center, Library of Congress
Gender
- Male
Race
- White
Status
- veteran
Service History
-
World War, 1939-1945
- Branch of Service: Army
- Service Unit/Ship: B Company, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division
- Location of Service: Guam (Mariana Islands); Leyte Island (Philippines); Okinawa Island (Ryukyu Islands); Pacific Theater
- Highest Rank: Corporal
- Dates of Service: 1942-1945
- Entrance into Service: Drafted
- Military Status: veteran
- Service History Note: The veteran earned the Medal of Honor for his service on Okinawa from 04/29/1945 to 05/21/1945. He served as a medic and was the only conscientious objector to receive a Medal of Honor in World War II.
Materials
- Video: Betacam SP [4 items] -- Oral history interview (collected 2003-04-14)
- Photograph: Copy photographic print [6 items] -- Photographs (collected 1945-10-12)
- Manuscript: Biography [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Clippings [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1996-01)
- Manuscript: Memoir [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
- Manuscript: Military Papers [1 item] -- Typewritten document (collected 1945-10-12)
- Manuscript: Printed matter [4 items] -- Typewritten document (collected unknown)
Collection Number
- AFC/2001/001/32978
Online Format
- image
- video