Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector

by Frances M. Doss

Infantry men who once ridiculed and scoffed at Desmond's simple faith and refusal to carry a weapon owed their lives to him. In the midst of a fierce firefight on Okinawa that felled approximately 75 men from the 1st Battalion, Private Doss refused to seek cover and carried his stricken comrades to safety one by one. This and other heroic acts earned him the highest honor America can bestow on one of her sons - the congressional Medal of Honor.
But his story doesn't end in 1945. There have been many other battles and victories for the man known as "the unlikeliest hero," and this book tells those stories.
From ancient-prone childhood to World War II gallantry, the tragic loss of his first wife, Dorothy, and his battles with deafness and cancer, Desmond Doss has lived a life of unsurpassed devotion - devotion to his country, his convictions, and his God. Book Specs

Paper Back
Publisher: PPPA
Printed: 2005
Pages: 160

Table of Contents

1. Memoreis—I
2. Memories—II
3. Memories—III
4. Memories—IV
5. Memories—V
6. War!
7. Dorothy
8. "You're in the Army Now"
9. Basic Training
10. Wedding Bells
11. Fort Jackson and Points West
12. Points East Again and on to Combat
13. Guam and Leyte
14. Okinawa
15. Home Again
16. Camp Doss
17. Deafness and a Cochlear Implant
18. Tragedy
19. Happiness Again
20. Once More in Okinawa
21. Cancer

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, War, World War II, American, Historical

151 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 2005

Reviews

[Mir]

Neither modern biography for military history are usually my subject matter of choice, but this was strongly recommended by the Air Force officer in line behind me at the Post Office, who seemed pretty interesting and thoughtful, so I may try it.

He also recommended Wilson's Ghost: Reducing The Risk Of Conflict, Killing, And Catastrophe In The 21st Century.

[Florentina Suciu · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good reminder that with God you can do great things. It's very easy to read, Frances Doss uses a friendly language and she presents the facts in a very familiary manner.

[Carlton Phelps · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desmond Doss is a remarkable person.
From standing up to the Army to ensure that he could serve his country during WWII, without firing a shot.
He is of the LDS religion and they stand fast to their beliefs. And one very important is that they will not take the life of another human.
He refused to work on Saturday, his Sabbath and he refused to fire a weapon.
He fought hard for these two principles and won. The Army had no idea who they had drafted or how to accommodate him and his beliefs. But they did.
You watch him fall in love, and leave her behind to serve in the Philippines, and serve he did.
You will see how he, in later years gave speeches about his experiences as a soldier and an LDS.
It was an inspiring book for me.

[Adam Palmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book about Desmond Doss was written by his second wife. (His first wife had died in a car accident.)
The book tells of Desmond's early life through the extensive use of flashbacks as Doss is crossing the ocean on a troopship. It also covers his life after he received the Medal of Honor.
It was a good and entertaining read.

[Adam Fehr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars. A very rare rating for me. Desmond Doss has an amazing story, but the book was not written well. A lot of awkward dialogue. Also a lot of details were mentioned that weren't important unless the reader knows the author.
Still I don't regret the read as I learned more about an amazing man who served well for his country.

[Robert F. Tanner · Rating 5 out of 5]

C.O. and the Medal of Honor

Saw Hacksaw Ridge, the movie made of Desmond's experiences on Okinawa. Hollywood took quite a few liberties with Desmond's and Dorothy's family life. The combat footage where Desmond earned the Medal of Honor was correctly depicted.
The book was written by Desmond's second wife after losing his wartime wife in a tragic vehicle accident. Desmond's life was all about honoring and thanking God for all his blessings, his wives,

[Soroosh Soltani · Rating 5 out of 5]

when i was reading this book i just thought to the war area!and how he could do all works in this area!wow a traditional physician did it.really when he dead i heard somethings about him but my father made me keen to read this english book.the best sentences of this book was "from the war,don't come back someone alive"
after the finished i found out about hacksaw bridge about doss.i recommend it to the historical book fans

[Ema Dance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely beautiful. Written in a simple manner, it was such a pleasure to read.

Desmond Doss. His life was hard, but his heart was trusting God, and God never let him down.

The fact that it was written by Desmond’s wife, gives this book a personal note, which I enjoyed very much. And the small contribution made by Desmond himself makes it even more real and genuine.

[Stephen · Rating 4 out of 5]

You will believe in miracles after reading this one. Saving lives, living through military and personal tragedies teaches more about miracles. Accepting your life and death are very powerful moments in Desmond's life.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't enjoy the writing style of this book. Almost glossed over and downplayed his heroic acts.

[Peter Reese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed

I enjoy a go out d based on true events book.....but then add the story was written by his wife.

What a true hero!!!!

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very wonderful look at a man who cared deeply for his fellow man. He would not hold a weapon but would risk his life to get his fellow soldiers out of harms way.

[richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector ~ Frances M. Doss

⭐⭐⭐ 3/5

I wanted to read this story after seeing the movie, "Hacksaw Ridge" this book is the true story of a man who had religious conviction - the main two in the story is, "Thou shall not kill" & "Keep the Sabbath" - due to his strong belief in keeping God's laws he found many problems would come his way.

2 Timothy 3:12 ►
In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted

This bible verse is what plays out in the life of Desmond Doss. Desmond joins the army after Japan bombs Pearl Harbor in a bid to help the war effort and save lives, due to his convictions of not wanting to touch a weapon and to keep the Sabbath he wasn't received well by the commanding officers, in fact they made his life difficult, but Desmond gets through all the bullying and enters as a medic, albeit as a conscientious objector.

Desmond refused to carry a weapon and went to war without any weapon at all, in the midst of fierce fighting, Desmond refused to seek cover or abandon his fellow soldiers and so he prayed and asked God to save just one person. Desmond carried on attending to the injured during the fighting, even when everyone else had pulled by die to the intensity. Desmond found an injured person and brought him back to the cliff top and lowered him down by rope single-handedly. Desmond again prayed, "Just one more God" and so he keeps going into the danger zone amidst the shootings and he would find another injured soul and bring him again to the cliff top and lower him down.

Desmond did all this without a weapon and saved the lives of around 75 soldiers. Desmond was the only person to have gone to wat without a weapon and earned the medal of honour 🏅🏅🏅

In the end, a hand grenade was thrown to him which he kicked away and it exploded leaving 17 pieces of strapnel in his legs. Desmond was still trying to help others when he was in agony.

What a wonderful example of keeping hold of God and His promises above all mocking, persecution and against all enemies. He wanted to honour God in his life and he did just that, yes he suffered and it wasn't easy but he saved the lives of many people and God is glorified through His servant Desmond Doss.

Desmond Doss made an appearance on "This is Your Life" well worth watching and remembering God's servants don't all look the same, don't all believe the same things, but their God makes them vessels of light..

https://youtu.be/S5TKAJtHTNo

[Gergana Velinova · Rating 5 out of 5]

ВЪЗРАЖЕНИЕ ПО СЪВЕСТ- това не е книга 📙 за плажа ,типична сълзлива любовна ♥️ история или станалите модерни книги📙 за личностно развитие.ВСИЧКО ТОВА НЕ. А много повече от тези неща.😊

ТЯ засяга темата за ВЯРАТА В БОГ, която се избягва и се споменава единствено, когато наближат рождествените и великденски празници. През останалото време никой нищо не казва. 🙄

ИСТОРИЯТА в книгата е ИСТИНСКА и се случва по време на Втората световна война, където главният герой Дезмънд Дос е изправен пред изпитание….. (Между другото има и филм режисиран от Мел Гъбсън точно по темата) Но да се върна на ревюто ми на Дос
….. и по-специално неговата вяра в Господ. ♥️

Като дори и по време на война/военни действия той не нарушава заповедта
НЕ УБИВАЙ?! А точно тогава за някои може да му се стори немислимо желание. Но той не отстъпва от вижданията си и нещо повече дори СПАСЯВА …….. няма да казвам колко души, за да Ви е интересна книгата и да не издам всичко в нея. ДА СПАСЯВА без да използва оръжие и да отнема човешки живот. 😊

По време на война не се задават въпроси като “Кой съм АЗ, че да се правя на БОГ и да реша да отнема живота му само заради политикотериториални причини. Ами той има същото право каквото и аз да има семейство, а може би и жена 👩 и деца 🧒, които го чакат да се върне от войната благополучно….Как ще оставя едно дете без неговия БАЩА 🙄

Това което най много ми хареса във “ВЪЗРАЖЕНИЕ ПО СЪВЕСТ”, че отстоява своята вяра и принципи‼️

Да всеки прави различни избори като се замислим, но нужно ли е да се откажем, само защото е трудно или ТАКА ТРЯБВА като да се съгласим с общоприетото. Нужно ли е да се откажем от вярата само защото сме във война🙄

А и как да наруши този принцип като БОГ толкова пъти му е показвал своята ЛЮБОВ и го е спасявал в различни ситуации в Живота му? КАК?

Освен всичко друго в книгата има и съвети,които да приложим и във взаимоотношенията си и на практика като ДА БЪДЕШ ДОБЪР ПРИМЕР!!! ♥️😊♥️

Независимо че често си навличаше проблеми заради вярата си Дос не престъпи и на сантиметър от вижданията си.

Ако можеше и ние всички като хора да се заразим поне малко от Дезмънд Дос светът 🌏 ще стане по-добро място. И в този смисъл БЪДЕТЕ БЛАГОСЛОВЕНИ, ВЯРВАЙТЕ И се молете във всеки един момент за себе си, околните,страната си.

[Beatrica Juráková Szolárová]

FRANCES M.DOSS - A FEGYVERTELEN KATONA 

DESMOND DOSS- EGY NEM MINDENNAPI HŐS TÖRTÉNETE


Desmond Doss szinte hihetetlen élettörténete, aki a második világháború egyik legvéresebb csatájában Okinawa szigetén 75 bajtársa életét mentette meg úgy, hogy ő maga nem viselt fegyvert. Vallási meggyőződése volt, hogy noha hazája igazságos háborút vív, neki magának nem szabad ölnie. Szanitécként több alkalommal is egymaga hozta ki sebesült bajtársait az ellenséges vonalak mögül vagy a tűz alatt tartott senkiföldjéről, miközben ő maga is súlyos sérüléseket szenvedett. Doss volt az első olyan katona, aki lelkiismereti okokból megtagadta a fegyveres szolgálatot, és megkapta a Kongresszusi Becsület Érdemrendet, Amerika legmagasabb katonai kitüntetését.
Az életrajból azonos címmel, Mel Gibson rendezésében készült mozifilm 6 Oscar jelölést kapott 2017-ben! 


Megmondom őszintén először a filmet láttam (Andrew Garfield főszereplésével), ami annyira magával ragadott, hogy rögtön kutakodni kezdtem Doss után és rátaláltam erre az életrajzi könyvre. Nemszoktam ilyen stílusú könyveket olvasni, de ez jóformán olyan volt mint egy regény. Nagyon szépen leírva Doss élete, tele párbeszédekkel. Gyorsan olvastatta magát!


Nincs is rá megfelelő szó mekkora tiszteletet érdemel ez az ember. Már a filmben lenyűgözött a hite és a kitartása és nem utolsó sorban a bátorsága. Nem hagyta magát befolyásolni és a sok megaláztatás ellenére véghez vitte amiben hitt. Csak tanulni lehet tőle és példát venni.


Végül szeretnék ide írni két idézetet, ami Doss mondása volt, amiben hitt és ezek szerint is élt:


"Amit nem érdemes azonnal és alaposan megtenni, azt egyáltalán nem érdemes megtenni."


"Nem az számít igazán, mennyit tudsz, hanem az, hogy mit kezdesz azzal, amit tudsz."


Tisztelgése: "Isten áldjon"

[K De · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frances M. Doss writes about her late husband in "Desmond Doss: Conscientious Objector" who was the only C.O., due to this religious beliefs as a Seven Day Adventist, to be honored with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery during his tours of combat in the Pacific theater during World War Two.

The book delves into his history from humble origins in the South as his upbringing was poor and family had a hard scrabble life which was ameliorated by his mother's deeply held Christian beliefs through her church. This religious life imbued Desmond with same religious belief in prayer and how god will work to the benefit of those who have given their life to the diety.

The movie "Hacksaw Ridge" only showed one small part of Desmond's life but that small part shaped the rest of his years as a devoted husband who suffered various medical problems from his war years, including TB, being maimed in his left arm, deafness (due to being one of the first patients to be treated by antibiotics for TB) and eventual blindness in his last years.

What motivated Desmond and his family was religion in a very positive sense. He led by quiet example through his activities with the Seven Day Adventists for his entire life.

The author was his second wife. She is even handed in writing about his trials and tribulations, including his first wife. The book is imbued with references to their thanks for a god who they prayed to for solace and comfort.

Well worth reading for a weekend and to think of how the spiritual affects the worldly.

[Chelsea Rouen · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Lord, help me get one more"

While I find the story of Desmond Doss inspiring, I felt as though this book minimally discussed his actual actions during World War II and instead focused more on him and his wife's Seventh Day Adventist beliefs and experiences. As this was written by his second wife, the book did help to provide some background into the belief system and real life experiences that ultimately led to him rescuing around 75 men from the Maeda escarpment in Okinawa. However, the actual experiences during the war were not discussed in any detail. This book did however serve to highlight differences between Desmond Doss' real life and the movie it inspired, Hacksaw Ridge.

Additionally, I found the writing style to be a bit theatrical as there is no way the author could have known exactly what was said during all these moments that were described. I was not a fan of the writing style, but I did feel as though this book provided an insight into a war heroes real life that otherwise could never have been provided had this book not been written by Desmond Doss' wife. Overall, this was a quick and easy read despite some of the issues I had with the writing style.

[Joe Oaster · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I heard the story and wanted to read the story about this man of his convictions yet he still wanted to serve. This book had such limited details about his service. The section on his medal of honor action was like 2 pages long. That was an extraordinary event and that action alone could have filled books.

I have nothing but the utmost respect for this man and his steadfastness and courage. This book does not do his life justice. More time was spent throughout the book on Mr. Doss trying to secure weekend passes so he could go to church than the action he received the medal of honor for.

This book is probably a big seller at SDA events, but for the general public I do not recommend this book.

[Rabspur · Rating 3 out of 5]

After watching the movie Hacksaw Ridge I wanted to find out a bit more about Desmond Doss, so bought this book, and was a little bit disappointed in it, the book concentrated on his life and his affiliation with the church and his friends, he was a very religious man, and also a conscientious objector when it came to the war and refused to carry any type of weapon, very little was written about his heroics at the battle of Okinawa and the winning of the medal of honor, the book was written by Desmonds second wife Frances, still I'm happy that I read it but would not recommend it if your interested in the battle of Okinawa, Crucible of Hell by Saul David would be my choice.

[Ash F · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having seen Hacksaw Ridge and admiring the moral and spiritual fortitude of Desmond Doss, I was looking forward to reading this biography. It is different to what I was expecting, but in positive ways. The book spans his life with his war heroics making up only a small chapter, which contributes to the book’s overall emphasis of the man’s simple humility. Being written by Doss’s second wife, it reads in plain but loving detail, emphasising his religious devotion as I’m sure he would have wished. The style is quaint and comfy, like hearing your grandmother tell stories of the past interwoven with moral instruction. It’s an unremarkable book about a remarkable man and I enjoyed reading it.

[Gable Roth · Rating 2 out of 5]

Desmond Doss was an amazing man who definitely earned his Medal of Honor for his bravery and sacrifice! This book tells that part of the story very well. The rest of the book is more of a personal history with details that might be interesting to grandchildren but not so much for the general public. I do like that it was written by his wife because she is about as close to the situation as you can get without it being an autobiography. However, she is not a professional author and it shows. It is a short little book and does the job of presenting the story in spite of the extra information.

[Jo Besser · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was hoping this would be more on Doss' service during WWII, with a bit about his family life. However, it seemed more about his family life and than his military service.

It wasn't a long book, but it seemed like it was going on for much longer. I understood that his beliefs were important to him. It didn't bother me at first, but after a while. I felt like it was getting to be too much and it felt like it was forced.

I think this book would be wonderful for family members and people who are Seventh Day Adventists. But for me, I didn't get much out of it.

[KC]

After seeing the movie about Desmond Doss, I wanted to read his biography. I came across this book It’s hard to rate. The writing is very amateurish and seems more appropriate for children or young adults. That said, I felt that after reading the story of this Medal of Honor winner, I had a good idea of what the man was like and about what drove him to distinguish himself on the battlefield. The man was inspiring— bit only fir his bravery, but fir his courage of faith and convictions. While another biography might be more satisfying; I’m glad I finished reading this one.

[Sean Nemecek · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is a poorly written advertisement for Seventh-Day Adventism. I got through five chapters before I couldn't stomach any more. There is no sense of drama or tension, it's just a rambling collection of early childhood memories interspersed with some events on a navy ship. I wanted to read more but I just couldn't take the tedious style. Maybe it gets better but life is too short to stick with bad books.

[Papa Smurf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Desmond T Does Conscientious Objector

I was so gripped to this story I couldn't read anything else until I had finished it. Having watched the film I just had to read the book. I recommend to others to read this amazing story of Desmond T Doss how he saved 75 men

[Donna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The story about Desmond Doss, his faith, and what he was able to achieve with God’s help was amazing . It was evident the writer of this book was not an experienced writer which took away from the story.

[Melanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good , moving story. Film did this extraordinary man justice.

[Samantha Smith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting subject, but poorly written.

[Damon Hunter · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you wish to learn and have a better understanding of how to keep on Almighty God' good side, then look no further than this Gentleman, Mr Desmond Doss.......a Truly remarkable man of God.

[DiaElla Mar Noun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Objetor de conciencia 💛
En todos los lados en los que había guerra estaba una iglesia adventista.