No. He enlisted or volunteered. As a result, his draft status as a 1AO conscientious objector (non-combatant) was voided. He maintained his conscientious objection which caused problems.

When did Desmond enter active duty?

April 1, 1942

When was he discharged from the Army?

Late 1945

When did he receive the MOH?

October 12, 1945

Date of service for MOH and where?

29 April - 26 May 1945 Okinawa

Where did he see action?

Guam, Leyte and Okinawa

What are his other decorations?

2 Bronze Stars for valor. One in Guam and one in Leyte.
3 Purple Hearts
Pacific Asia Campaign Ribbon with star signifying he made an amphibious landing.
Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon awarded to the 1st Battalion, 507 Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division for securing the Maeda Escarpment.
Combat Medical Badge

How old was Desmond when he died?

Where is Desmond buried?

Chattanooga, TN National Cemetery

What happened to brother Hal?

Harold or "HAL", enlisted in the Navy. Served in Europe. In 1945 was a crew member on the destroyer USS Lindsey which was involved in two Iwo Jima landings and in the Okinawa campaign. Ship was severely damaged by two direct hits by kamikaze aircraft April 12, 1945. For a couple of days, Harold was listed as KIA in error.
Was not wounded. Died in 2007.

Was Desmond 's father decorated in WWI?

Yes, Silver Star.

Did Desmond's father suffer from Shell Shock, or PTSD?

Yes

Did Desmond and his father ever reconcile?

Yes.

How long were Desmond and Dorothy married?

49 years

When did Desmond's wife, Dorothy, die?

Dorothy was accidentally killed in an automobile accident in 1991.

Did Desmond and Dorothy have children?

Yes, Desmond Thomas Doss Jr. born 1946. Still living.

Did Desmond's PTSD effect his relationship with his son?

Yes. Periods of estrangement occurred.

Did Desmond and his son reconcile.

Yes.

What was Desmond Jrs. reaction to all the attention given his father?

In numerous interviews, he is very supportive of the movie, his father's portrayal by Andrew Garfield, and the dramatization of factual events.

Did Desmond Jr. adopt his father's denominational religion?

No. Desmond Jr. shows great respect for his fathers faith and religion.

Did Desmond remarry?

Yes, 1993, Francis Duman. Died 2008

Are any of the men Desmond saved still living?

No. Meet some of them. Watch the documentary, the Conscientious Objector.

How many men is Desmond credited with saving?

75 at least. Army estimated over 100. Doss felt it was no more than 50. Does not include the uncounted saves on Guam and Leyte.

Where are the places Desmond lived?

Lynchburg, VA until 1955
Rising Fawn, GA until 2005
Piedmont, AL until his death in 2006

How accurate is the movie, Hacksaw Ridge?

Very. Events are condensed and events from several events have been combined. Many factual events during the period are not included because of time constraints and unbelievability (according to Mel Gibson) though true. Courtship takes dramatic license but individual events, Desmond's faith, beliefs are accurate.

Did Desmond read any Hacksaw Ridge scripts?

No. He died before the first script was written.

Did the Seventh-day Adventist church read or have input to the script?

Three members of the Desmond Doss Council read all the scripts and were able to offer comments. The script writers and Producer wanted to insure accuracy of the story, proper representation of Desmond's beliefs and the Seventh-day Adventist church and historical setting.

How did Hacksaw Ridge come to be made?

Doss had been approached by many producers and directors asking to be allowed to make a film. In all instances, Desmond backed out of the projects because of fictionalization of the facts and his beliefs. Desmond legally chartered the Desmond Doss Council and gave them the Rights to his story if a film could be made that was true to the facts, his beliefs and his church. The Council found a producer, Bill Mechanic, who agreed to the stipulations and transferred the rights after months of negotiation to the producer. It took the producer over 13 years to bring the project to fruition. The story of this quest is in itself, a miracle.

Who is Bill Mechanic, Producer Hacksaw Ridge?

President, Pandemonium Films, former president, 20th Century Fox. Production credit on 259 films including Mel Gibson's Braveheart.

What is the Desmond Doss Council?

NFP legally chartered by Desmond Doss in 2000. Operates within the Trust Association of the Georgia Cumberland Conference of Seventh-day Adventists, Calhoun, GA. All members are volunteers.

Desmond Doss Council Mission?

Protect, Preserve and Manage the Desmond Doss Life Story, his Legacy, Intellectual Property, Collections, and Memorabilia to God's Glory

Did The Desmond Doss Council have any creative or production input to Hacksaw Ridge?

No. The producer gave selected Council members access to all script versions and were invited to comment. The Council provided resource materials upon request. The Council's Chairman was invited to interact with cast and crew on location in Australia during the filming. A strong and respectful bond was formed between the Council, producers, cast and film's distributors.
Council members accompanied the films U.S. distributor, Lionsgate, to numerous faith and veteran focus group pre-release screenings to answer audience questions about Doss, his beliefs, life, church and military history about the battle.

Who was the actor that portrayed Doss?

Andrew Garfield, a 33 year-old English actor who so accurately portrayed Doss's mannerisms, speech and humble personality, he could have been Doss's twin even though Doss was 10 years younger.

Would Desmond approve of his portrayal?

Yes.

Would Desmond have judged Hacksaw Ridge as truthful?

Yes.

Did Desmond recover from his wounds?

Yes. He was wounded by a grenade in the right leg as depicted in the movie. He received a sniper's bullet wound to his right arm that broke all three bones.

Did Desmond Have any other service related Illnesses?

Yes. He contracted severe tuberculosis and spent 5 1/2 years in and out of VA hospitals during which time a lung was removed and several ribs. He was treated with a new antibiotic, Streptomycin, a side effect of which caused him to completely lose his hearing by 1976. He underwent cochlear implants to partially restore his hearing.

What words best describe Desmond Doss?

Integrity (Do what is right when no one is watching and do it no matter the circumstances)

Love of God, country and his fellow man even at the cost of one's own life

Was Desmond a Pacifist?

No. He was adamant that he was a patriot. He called himself a Conscientious Cooperator. His military service, valor and heroism underscores his patriotism. He just refused to kill or train with a gun.

Why is the movie so violent?

The battle for Okinawa and specifically the Maeda Escarpment is considered by military historians the bloodiest battle of the South Pacific and perhaps of the entire WWII. This is determined by casualty density over the duration of the battle. Over 300,000 lives were lost on Okinawa in a period of less than six weeks. Mel Gibson insisted on depicting the truth of war in all of its horror and contrasting it with the life, beliefs and exploits of Desmond. Mel Gibson felt that if he lessend the emotional and visual impact of the battle scenes, it would have denigrated the protection God provided, and the courage of Desmond.

Where is the Bible given to Desmond by Dorothy?

Lost.

Where are the archives of Doss materials?

Heritage Room, Del Webb Library, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA. by appointment for researchers.
Charles Coolidge Medal of Honor Museum, Chattanooga, TN.
US Army Medical Department Museum and Historical Collections, Joint Base Fort Sam Houston, TX.
Georgia-Cumberland Conference Association, Calhoun, GA.

Are there exhibits honoring Doss?

Yes.

Veterans Park, Collegedale, TN
Charles Coolidge National Medal of Honor Museum, Chattanooga, TN
Hall of Heroes, Pentagon, Washington, DC
Doss Memorial, Seventh-day Adventist Church, Naha, Okinawa.
US Army Medical Department Museum. San Antonio, TX.
Loma Linda University Medical Center and Hospital, Loma Linda CA, (in development)

What is the name of the official Desmond Doss biography?

Redemption on Hacksaw Ridge, Booten Herndon, New title updated and expanded 2016 edition, © Desmond Doss Council. published by Remnant Publications.

In what languages will the book be published?

English, Spanish, Serbian, German, Polish, Norwegian, Italian as of 2016.

Name of the Desmond Doss documentary?

The Conscientious Objector, theatrical documentary and DVD, Terry Benedict Director/Producer, © by the Desmond Doss Council. The DVD has been in production with world-wide distribution since 2004. An HD Blu-Ray edition was made available in 2017.

Is documentary available in other languages?

Yes. Subtitled in Spanish, English at the present. Go to www.theconscientiousobjector.com

Official websites for Desmond Doss?

www.desmonddoss.com

www.theconscientiousobjector.com

www.desmonddossfoundation.org

Other publications featuring Doss?

Movies/Documentaries:

Hacksaw Ridge - The Motion Picture, Mel Gibson, Director, Bill Mechanic, Producer; Lionsgate
The Conscientious Objector - The documentary, Video, Doss Council, Terry Benedict, Director
Desmond Doss: The Hero of Hacksaw Ridge, a video Documentary, Gary Kent, Director/Producer
This is Your Life, Desmond T. Doss (Youtube Video), Ralph Edwards Production

Print Media:

True Comics April 6, 1943
Redemption on Hacksaw Ridge - Official Doss Biography, by Booton Herndon, Remnant Publications
The Birth of Hacksaw Ridge, How it All Began - The Story of the Doss Early Years, Gregory Crosby and Gene Church, Remnant Publications
Beyond Hacksaw Ridge, An Order of Battle - Bible study of the Hacksaw Ridge, Movie Themes, by Dick Stenbakken, Remnant Publications
Faith of Desmond Doss, Primer on Doss's Faith, by John Bradshaw, from It Is Written

Where to find information on Doss's beliefs?

The Faith of Desmond Doss , by John Bradshaw, It Is Written, 2016, www.IIW.org

www.desmonddoss.com

www.hacksawridgeresources.com

www.ItIsWritten.com/desmonddoss

twitter.com/DesmondDoss @DesmondDoss

Where to learn about the faith themes of Hacksaw Ridge?

Beyond Hacksaw Ridge: An Order of Battle , by Richard Stenbakken, Col, (Chaplain), USA, Retired, 2016. Discover Bible School, Voice of Prophesy and Remnant Publications.

Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about Desmond T. Doss

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