Desmond Doss Biography, Brother, Wife, Kids and How He Saved 75 Lives

Desmond Doss, a staunch Adventist who chose not only to preach the tenets of his faith but to apply them in his military battles, performed unimaginable feats of heroism. Against all scorn and taunts, Doss used the Bible and his faith to save 75 lives during the Battle of Okinawa. Surviving multiple injuries, he became a hero and won the United States’ highest Medal of Honor for bravery.

cool what? Well, the man has more to offer. Read on to learn the things you should know about Mr. Doss. From his biography to his family life to how he saved 75 lives in a bitter war, we’ve compiled it all for you.

Desmond Doss Biography

Desmond Thomas Doss was born in Lynchburg,Virginia to William Thomas Doss (carpenter) and Bertha E. Oliver Doss. They raised him in a strict Christian Seventh-day Adventist home, where he was held to biblical principles to which he held so tenaciously.

According to the records, Desmond Doss was born on February 7th and in the year 1919. It is said that from an early age he had a natural ability to understand and share the feelings of others. For example, he once traveled several kilometers to donate blood to an accident victim.

When he decided, on 1April 1942, he took with him the strict Christian instruction he received from home. Doss never carried a weapon as a soldier, nor did he kill an enemy soldier throughout his combat during World War II. As the war progressed, his weapon remained the Bible and his faith in God, although he was assigned to an infantry rifle company.

This earned him so much ridicule from the soldiers who mocked and laughed at him for his decision. It was considered a liability, some said that a soldier without a weapon wasn’t worth it. Doss was insulted, intimidated, declared unfit for action. Even a soldier in the barracks promised to take Doss’ life in battle, but no one could kick him out when he refused to go.

As the war intensified, however, the PearlHabor found his place in the wartime medical unit, making sure no life was lost under his care. Doss would risk his life to advance into the Japanese and rescue a wounded soldier. He prayerfully cared for each wounded soldier and offered what he could to facilitate their recovery. This bravery later earned him so many national and international awards.

At the White House, on October 12, 1945, Desmond was honored by Harry S. Truman, then President of the United States, with a Congressional Medal of Honor as one of the top 431 uniformed men among the 16 million who fought the war.

Desmond was wounded three times during the battle, although he survived the injuries but was left without five ribs and a lung until his death on March 23, 2006. In his later years, Doss suffered from shell shock (PSTD), a medical condition that affected his relationship with his son.

His brother, wife and children

Doss had a blissful marriage to his beautiful wife, Dorothy Pauline Schutte. He married her in 1942 and their 49-year union was blessed with a son whom she gave Desmond Thomas Doss Jnr. called. He was born in 1946.

Desmond and his wife had a home filled with love, prayer and trust in God. It is said that her house was a home for the wounded and battered. After Dorothy died following a car accident on November 17, 1991, in July 1993 Doss remarried to Frances May Duman, who died two years after Doss’s death in 2008.

Desmond’s brother Harold (affectionately called Hal) enlisted in the Navy and served in Europe. Like Doss, Hal was a patriotic soldier who fought on April 12, 1945 even when the ship was badly damaged. He was mistakenly credited with being the one killed because of the ship’s damage, but he miraculously escaped. Hal died in 2007.

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How Desmond Doss saved 75 lives

During the Battle of the Okinawa Maeda Escarpment, also known to Americans as Hacksaw Ridge, Doss saved the lives of many American soldiers who were being crushed by the fast and furious Japanese onslaught.

On May 5, 1945, Doss worked half the day, tirelessly trying to save large numbers of soldiers. Despite suffering a serious injury, he risked his life to save wounded soldiers from the Japanese.

Desmond Doss will always be remembered as a soldier who risked his life to save over 75 other soldiers.

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Desmond Doss Biography, Brother, Wife, Kids and How He Saved 75 Lives