Thursday, April 06, 2006

The story of a C.O. that I can respect; unlike mark Souder

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - The only conscientious objector to receive a Medal of Honor in World War II has been buried at a national cemetery with a 21-gun salute, although he refused to carry a weapon while serving as an Army medic.

Desmond T. Doss Sr., 87, died March 23 in Piedmont, Ala., where he and his wife, Frances, had been living with family.

A horse-drawn hearse delivered the flag-covered casket to the grave site Monday in the Chattanooga National Cemetery. Military helicopters flew overhead in a tribute formation.

Doss had endured ridicule for his beliefs but "remained true to his convictions even when it was not the most popular thing to do," said Patti Parks, a retired Navy commander and director of the Medal of Honor Museum in Chattanooga.

Doss, who refused to carry a weapon during his wartime service in the Pacific, was the subject of a book, "The Unlikeliest Hero," and a 2004 documentary, "The Conscientious Objector."
Medal of Honor Society records show he was among 3,461 recipients of the nation’s highest military honor.

While under enemy fire on the island of Okinawa, Doss carried 75 wounded soldiers to the edge of a 400-foot cliff and lowered them to safety, according to his citation.

During a later attack, he was seriously wounded in the legs by a grenade.

According to the citation, as he was being carried to safety, he saw a more critically injured man and crawled off his stretcher, directing the medics to help the other wounded man.

"He wanted to serve. He just didn’t want to kill anybody," said a veteran who attended the service, Fred Headrick, 85. "Most all of them (Medal of Honor recipients) received their medal for killing someone. He received his by saving lives."

Desmond T. Doss Sr. is a man I could vote for; he would be a much better Congressman then Mark Souder who FALSELY promised to serve a maximum of twelve years and promised to debate all challengers a few years ago and now has decided to break those promises. Hypocrite!

3 comments:

John Good said...

AMEN! Preach on, Brother Mike!

Robert Enders said...

Desmond T. Doss Sr. is a great American and we all appreciate his service to the country.

But here is something that has been nagging at me. COuld a pacifist ever serve in Congress or as President? Whenever a bill is passed and singed into law, that is in effect commanding every police officer in the country to arrest anyone who violates that law. Not everyone likes to be arrested, so police officers sometimes must resort to violence.

I cannot imagine any law enforement body existing without practicing some form of violence. Everytime a pacifist lawmaker votes for a new law, whether or not that law is just, he is in effect asking police to enforce another law which will require violence.

LP Mike Sylvester said...

I do not know Robert. I believe in "peace through superior firepower," I believe in the death penalty, and I believe we should kill ANYONE that breaks into our house and threatens us.

I am NOT a pacifist...

Mike

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