It Is Written

Who was Desmond Doss?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants: John Bradshaw

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Series Code: IIW

Program Code: IIW001441A


01:31 [dramatic music]
02:12 This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
02:14 Thanks for joining me. We live in a world that
02:17 is plagued by war. And when you read the Bible,
02:20 you make the remarkable discovery, that war actually
02:23 began in heaven, where Lucifer and his
02:27 angels fought against Michael, the Archangel,
02:30 and his angels. Today, around planet Earth,
02:33 there is not a day that goes by that there's not warfare
02:36 somewhere. Now, the vast majority of people
02:39 who participate in war are people who are simply
02:42 following orders, and many of them
02:44 pay the ultimate price. Others get to return home,
02:48 but some, scarred physically and emotionally.
02:53 And we remember them, and we honor them,
02:56 in places like this.
03:01 [Music] I'm at Veterans Park in
03:05 Collegedale, Tennessee, just miles from the
03:08 It Is Written office in Chattanooga,
03:10 Tennessee. The park was developed to honor
03:13 those who served to preserve our freedom.
03:16 Like other, similar veterans parks, this one honors all the
03:19 branches of military service: army, navy, air force, coast
03:23 guard, and marines. Along the walkway,
03:27 there's a timeline of wars. The plaque reminds us that
03:30 freedom is not free. Around this circle there are
03:34 individual bronze plaques commemorating all of the wars
03:37 that have been fought by Americans:
03:39 the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, both world wars,
03:43 and more recent wars. On each plaque is listed the
03:47 number of those who served, those wounded, and those who
03:51 made the ultimate sacrifice. Hundreds of thousands of
03:54 individuals have given their lives for the freedom enjoyed
03:57 in this country today. As the slogan aptly states,
04:02 "All gave some, and some gave all."
04:08 On July the 16th, 2015, a man opened fire at two
04:13 nearby military facilities, claiming five lives:
04:17 four marines and a naval petty officer.
04:21 This latest addition at Veterans Park honors
04:23 those who lost their lives that day.
04:25 Their names are listed right here.
04:29 That unprovoked terrorist attack reminds us that what Peter wrote
04:33 is applicable to us today. 1st Peter 5 and verse 8 says,
04:38 "Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary the devil walks
04:42 around like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour."
04:47 At this monument, we read the words of
04:50 General Douglas MacArthur, "The soldier, above all others,
04:54 prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest
04:58 wounds and scars of war." There are plaques commemorating
05:03 those who were missing in action, became prisoners
05:05 of war, and killed in action.
05:08 This one reads, "You paid the ultimate price: you gave your
05:12 life that we might be free. You cannot know the benefits
05:16 your sacrifice made possible. We shall always be
05:20 grateful to you." This plaque commemorates those
05:23 who served as conscientious objectors.
05:26 It reads, "To those who served in the
05:29 military while refusing to bear arms: thank you for defending
05:32 your country in harmony with your conscience.
05:35 Your willingness to go into harm's way unarmed demonstrates
05:39 a faith that inspires all Americans.
05:43 Thank you for not refusing to serve."
05:48 [drum roll] Many of those who chose to be
05:51 conscientious objectors served as combat medics.
05:54 Now, this bronze memorial illustrates the scene of a
05:57 combat medic treating a wounded soldier.
06:00 Now, above all, this park is dedicated to the memory of
06:04 a local hero. He was a conscientious objector,
06:09 a combat medic, and a man of great faith.
06:14 We'll find out more in just a moment.
06:18 >: "Every Word" is a one-minute, Bible-based, daily devotional
06:21 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw,
06:23 and designed especially for busy people
06:26 like you. Look for "Every Word" on
06:28 selected networks or watch it online every day on our website,
06:31 ItIsWritten.com. [Music]
06:40 In 2009 the F-22 fighter plane cost the U.S. Air Force
06:44 somewhere between 137 million and 469 million
06:49 dollars each, depending on how you calculate.
06:52 A government pays what it does in order to have the best
06:56 weapons possible. Each of Gideon's 300 men went
06:59 into battle with a shofar -- that's a trumpet--
07:03 and a torch inside a clay jar...
07:05 unconventional weapons. Judges 7, verse 20 says,
07:08 "Then the three companies blew the trumpets and
07:11 broke the pitchers-- they held the torches
07:13 in their left hands and the trumpets in their
07:15 right hands for blowing --and they cried,
07:17 'The sword of the Lord and of Gideon!'"
07:19 They blew the trumpets, broke the jars, and let
07:22 their light shine. When they let their light shine,
07:24 victory came. If you let your light shine,
07:27 if you'll let Jesus shine in you, you'll have victory,
07:30 too. I'm John Bradshaw for
07:32 It Is Written. Let's live today by every word.
07:36 [drum and fife music] This is It Is Written.
07:40 I'm John Bradshaw. The focus of Veterans Park here
07:44 in Collegedale, Tennessee, is a man who was a
07:47 conscientious objector. During World War II, he refused
07:51 to touch a weapon of any kind or to carry a gun.
07:55 He's a well-known local war hero, and known as
07:59 the Hero of Okinawa. This statue commemorates
08:03 Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss, a longtime resident of
08:08 this area. He's also a national hero, as
08:11 the recipient of this nation's highest award, the Congressional
08:16 Medal of Honor. [Music]
08:20 October 12, 1945, on the lawn of the White House, 15 Medal
08:25 of Honor recipients were given their award by the
08:27 President of the United States. When it was his turn, Desmond
08:31 walked up to the President. Harry S. Truman warmly shook
08:35 the hand of Corporal Doss and held it the entire time his
08:39 citation was read aloud. Then, as he placed the Medal of
08:43 Honor around his neck, the President said,
08:46 "I'm proud of you. You really deserve this.
08:48 I consider this a greater honor than being President."
08:53 He was a company aid man when the first battalion assaulted a
08:56 jagged escarpment 400 feet high. As our troops gained the summit,
09:01 a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar, and machine
09:05 gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75
09:08 casualties and driving the others back.
09:11 PFC Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept
09:16 area with the many stricken, carrying them one by one to
09:19 the edge of the escarpment, and there lowering them,
09:22 on a rope-supported litter, down the face of the cliff
09:25 to friendly hands. On the 2nd of May,
09:29 he exposed himself to heavy rifle and mortar fire
09:32 in rescuing a wounded man 200 yards forward of the
09:35 lines on the same escarpment.
09:37 And two days later, he treated four men who had been cut down
09:41 while assaulting a strongly defended cave, advancing through
09:44 a shower of grenades to within eight yards of enemy forces in
09:48 a cave's mouth, where he dressed his comrades' wounds
09:51 before making four separate trips, under fire,
09:54 to evacuate them to safety. On the 5th of May, he
09:58 unhesitatingly braved enemy shelling and small-arms fire to
10:02 assist an artillery officer. He applied bandages, moved his
10:06 patient to a spot that offered protection from small-arms fire,
10:09 and while artillery and mortar shells fell close by,
10:13 painstakingly administered plasma.
10:16 Later that day, when an American was severely wounded
10:19 by fire from a cave, Private Doss crawled to him
10:22 where he had fallen, 25 feet from the enemy position,
10:25 rendered aid, and carried him 100 yards
10:28 to safety while continually exposed to enemy fire.
10:32 On the 21st of May, in a night attack on high ground near
10:36 Shuri, he remained in exposed territory while the rest of
10:40 his company took cover, fearlessly risking the
10:43 chance that he would be mistaken for an infiltrating
10:45 Japanese, and giving aid to the injured until he was,
10:49 himself, seriously wounded in the legs by the explosion
10:52 of a grenade. Rather than call another aid man
10:55 from cover, he cared for his own injuries and waited five hours
11:00 before litter bearers reached him and started carrying him
11:03 to cover. The trio was caught in an enemy
11:06 tank attack, and Private Doss, seeing a more critically
11:11 wounded man nearby, crawled off the litter and
11:15 directed the bearers to give their first attention
11:18 to the other man. Awaiting the litter bearers'
11:21 return, he was again struck, this time suffering a compound
11:25 fracture of one arm. With magnificent fortitude,
11:29 he bound a rifle stock to his shattered arm as a splint,
11:33 and then crawled 300 yards over rough terrain to the
11:37 aid station. Through his outstanding bravery
11:41 and unflinching determination in the face of desperately
11:44 dangerous conditions, Private Doss saved the
11:48 lives of many soldiers. His name became a symbol
11:51 throughout the 77th Infantry Division for outstanding
11:55 gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty.
11:59 Three and a half years before those words were read on the
12:02 lawn of the White House, Desmond Doss pulled on
12:05 his army uniform for the first time.
12:07 It was April the 1st, 1942. But things did not start well
12:12 for the soft-spoken Virginian. He wanted to be a combat medic,
12:17 but as providence would have it, he was assigned to an infantry
12:21 rifle company. [explosions]
12:31 When Pearl Harbor was attacked, Desmond was working at the
12:35 Newport News naval shipyard and could have requested a
12:38 deferment, but he was willing to risk his life on the front lines
12:42 in order to preserve freedom. He assumed his standing as a
12:47 conscientious objector would not require him to carry a weapon,
12:51 but his refusal to even touch a gun caused his fellow soldiers
12:55 to view him with disdain. Nobody believed a soldier
12:59 without a weapon was worth anything, so they ostracized
13:03 him, bullied him, cursed at him, and threatened him.
13:08 One man warned, "Doss, when we get into combat,
13:12 I'll make sure you don't come back alive."
13:17 Desmond had been raised with a fervent belief in the Bible,
13:20 and when it came to the Ten Commandments, he applied them
13:23 personally. During childhood, his father had
13:26 purchased a large, framed picture at an auction.
13:30 It portrayed the Ten Commandments with colorful
13:33 illustrations. Next to the words
13:36 "Thou shalt not kill" was a drawing of Cain holding
13:40 a club and standing over the body of his dead brother,
13:43 Abel. With that picture firmly
13:46 embedded in his mind, this young boy determined
13:49 that he would never take life.
13:53 And there was another commandment that Desmond took
13:55 just as seriously as the sixth, and that was the fourth
13:59 commandment. He was raised to go to church
14:02 every week, on the seventh day of the week.
14:06 The army was exasperated when this Bible-reading misfit asked
14:09 for a pass to attend church every Saturday.
14:13 They believed he was totally out of sync with the military.
14:16 In fact, they saw him as a liability.
14:19 So they tried to intimidate him. They gave him extra duties,
14:22 they declared him mentally unfit, and they tried to
14:25 court-martial him. But Desmond Doss wouldn't quit.
14:31 He saw it as his duty to serve God and country, but in that
14:36 order.
14:40 But things began to turn around when the men discovered that
14:42 this quiet, unassuming medic had an effective way to
14:46 treat the blisters on their feet.
14:48 And when someone fainted from heat stroke, Desmond was at
14:51 their side, offering his own canteen.
14:54 And he never held a grudge. With kindness and gentle
14:57 courtesy, he treated those who mistreated him.
15:00 He lived the Golden Rule: Do to others as you would have
15:04 them do to you. Desmond served in combat on the
15:07 islands of Guam and Leyte. In each military operation,
15:11 he exhibited extraordinary dedication to his men.
15:15 While others were taking life, he was busy saving life.
15:20 As enemy bullets whizzed past and mortar shells exploded
15:24 around him, he repeatedly ran to treat a fallen comrade
15:27 and carry him back to safety. By the time they reached
15:31 Okinawa, he'd been awarded two Bronze Stars for valor.
15:36 In May 1945, Japanese troops were fiercely defending Okinawa,
15:41 the only remaining barrier to an Allied invasion of their
15:44 homeland. The Americans were set on
15:47 capturing an imposing cliff that ran across the island.
15:50 The soldiers called it Hacksaw Ridge.
15:54 But upon reaching the top, Japanese forces suddenly
15:58 attacked. Officers ordered an immediate
16:00 retreat. As a hundred or more Americans
16:04 lay wounded and dying on enemy soil, one lone soldier disobeyed
16:09 those orders and charged back into the firefight.
16:14 With a constant prayer on his lips, he vowed to rescue as many
16:17 as he could before he either collapsed or died trying.
16:22 His iron determination and unflagging courage resulted
16:26 in saving 75 lives. Desmond Doss was a hero.
16:32 He was a hero to the men whose lives he saved.
16:35 He was a hero in American history.
16:38 But he was also a hero of faith. Without his faith in God,
16:42 he would not have been able to be the hero that
16:45 he was, when he endured those battles in the
16:47 Pacific Islands. How did he have the faith that
16:51 enabled him to face the enemy with quiet confidence?
16:56 I'll have the answer to that question in just a moment.
17:00 [Music] I'd like to offer you a special,
17:08 free book called "The Faith of Desmond Doss."
17:12 This book not only describes who Desmond was, but also how to
17:17 develop the kind of faith Desmond had.
17:20 To receive your copy of this book, just call:
17:23 1 (800) 253-3000, and ask for:
17:26 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." Lines are open 24 hours daily.
17:31 They may be busy when you call, so keep trying.
17:33 You can also write to request this book from It Is Written at
17:37 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401,
17:41 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America.
17:44 This is a powerful little book, and it's yours absolutely free.
17:48 All you need to do is to call right now, 1 (800) 253-3000.
17:53 There's no cost and no catch. Simply call now, and ask for
17:57 "The Faith of Desmond Doss," or visit us online at
18:01 ItIsWritten.com and download a free
18:04 electronic version of this book.
18:08 Desmond Doss believed that the Bible was the Word of God.
18:12 He read the Bible every day. He had a Bible with him the
18:16 entire time he was in the war. In fact, his Bible was his most
18:20 prized possession. Shortly before he shipped out
18:24 to the Pacific, he married his sweetheart, Dorothy.
18:27 As a wedding gift, she gave him a pocket Bible.
18:31 Inside that Bible she wrote a note especially to encourage
18:35 Desmond while he was away. "Dearest Desmond, As you read
18:40 and study the precious promises found in the Word of God
18:43 contained in this little Bible, may you be strengthened in
18:46 whatever trials may come to you. May your faith in God bring
18:49 comfort and peace of heart to you, that you may never be sad
18:51 or lonely, no matter how dark the way seems.
18:55 If we do not meet another time on this earth, we have the
18:57 assurance of a happy meeting place in heaven.
19:00 May God in His mercy grant us both a place there.
19:03 Your loving wife, Dorothy."
19:07 As he faced the enemy day after day, he read this letter again
19:10 and again, along with the promises he found in
19:14 his Bible. "He who dwells in the secret
19:17 place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of
19:20 the Almighty. I will say of the LORD,
19:22 'He is my refuge and my fortress; my God,
19:25 in Him I will trust.'" Psalm 91, 1 and 2.
19:30 "You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the
19:35 arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in
19:38 darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noon-day.
19:43 A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your
19:46 right hand; but it shall not come near you."
19:50 Psalm 91: 5 through 7. As Desmond read the Bible,
19:55 he read it as one who believed that God would protect him,
19:59 because he believed God's Word could be trusted.
20:02 Thoughts of fear were changed to feelings of confidence and
20:06 courage. As he read God's Word, he read
20:10 words like these: "It is better to trust in the
20:13 Lord than to put confidence in man."
20:17 Psalm 118, verse 8. "Trust in the Lord with all your
20:21 heart, and lean not on your own understanding.
20:25 In all your ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct
20:28 your paths." Proverbs 3:5 and 6.
20:33 As Desmond read his Bible, it molded his thinking.
20:37 He read this in the Proverbs: "For as he thinks in his heart,
20:41 so is he." Proverbs 23:7.
20:45 Thoughts become actions; actions become habits;
20:49 habits influence our character; and our character determines
20:53 our destiny. It's when times become really
20:57 challenging that our true character is revealed.
21:00 For Desmond Doss, he was the same person in the heat of
21:03 battle as he was outside of the theater of battle,
21:07 and that's because he had spent time with God.
21:10 Just because he didn't carry a weapon did not mean he was
21:12 defenseless. At all times, he had prayer and
21:16 the Word of God: two things far more powerful than any weapon.
21:23 "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to
21:26 man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be
21:30 tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation
21:35 also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it."
21:40 First Corinthians 10:13. God promises you a way of
21:45 escape, just as He provided one for Desmond Doss.
21:49 The same promises that Desmond found in his Bible are the
21:52 promises that you can discover, and believe, and claim.
21:55 I'd like for you to get today's free book.
21:57 It's called: "The Faith of Desmond Doss."
22:00 I'll tell you how you can get it in just a moment.
22:03 [Music] Planning for your financial
22:05 future is a vital aspect of Christian stewardship.
22:08 For this reason, It Is Written is pleased to offer free planned
22:12 giving and estate services. For information on how we can
22:15 help you, please call (800) 992-2219.
22:20 Call today, or visit our special website, www.HisLegacy.com.
22:29 [Music] This is the Chattanooga
22:40 National Cemetery, in the state of Tennessee.
22:44 National cemeteries were first established under the
22:46 administration of President Abraham Lincoln.
22:49 They were specifically created for those who had served in the
22:52 military, beginning with the Civil War.
22:55 There are some graves here that date all the way back to that
22:58 time, every grave commemorating the life of one who would
23:01 sacrifice to preserve freedom, from every war since the
23:05 Civil War. This national cemetery covers
23:09 120 acres. More than 50,000 war veterans
23:13 are buried here. Undoubtedly there's a unique
23:16 story behind each grave marker. After serving his country in
23:20 World War II, Desmond Doss returned home, but not
23:24 everything turned out the way he might have hoped.
23:27 He was discharged from the military in 1946, but before
23:30 that time, he had developed tuberculosis.
23:33 All those cold, wet nights in a muddy foxhole in the Pacific
23:37 Islands eventually took their toll.
23:41 As the illness progressed, his left lung had to be surgically
23:44 removed, along with five ribs. For the rest of his life,
23:48 he survived on a single lung, until it, too, failed.
23:53 At the age of 87, Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss died,
23:58 on March 23, 2006, after being hospitalized with difficulty
24:04 breathing. For Desmond Doss, the war is
24:08 over; not just the war in the Pacific during World War II,
24:12 but the battle of life. Now he rests in peace;
24:16 his eternal destiny has been decided.
24:19 His body lies just beneath this grave marker.
24:23 One day, according to the Bible, the trumpet of God will awaken
24:27 the sleeping saints, and the greatest battle ever fought will
24:32 climax in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.
24:36 Desmond was a soldier who served in war, but he was also a
24:41 soldier in the battle of life. We're all soldiers in the battle
24:46 of life, and the outcome has already been determined.
24:51 We know that the enemy is the devil, but that ultimately
24:54 the victor is Jesus Christ. Every person born on this earth
24:58 is born behind enemy lines, but everyone can choose to be on
25:03 the winning side. You know, Jesus is coming back
25:06 soon, and when He returns death, sin, pain, sorrow,
25:12 it will all be done away with. It will all be gone.
25:16 Jesus is coming back, and when He returns, He'll make all
25:21 things new. "Let not your heart be troubled;
25:24 you believe in God, believe also in Me.
25:28 In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so,
25:32 I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
25:36 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and
25:40 receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be
25:44 also." John 14, 1 through 3.
25:48 That wonderful promise assures you that a bright future
25:52 awaits you. For it to be a reality in your
25:55 life, all you need to do is believe.
26:00 [acoustic guitar music] There are many heroes in this
26:04 book, the Bible, and then there are many other heroes who
26:07 risk everything to preserve the freedoms that we enjoy today.
26:11 One of them was Desmond Doss, the World War II medic who
26:15 refused to carry a gun. But he had a prayer in his heart
26:19 and a Bible in his pocket. He saved dozens and dozens of
26:24 lives, and as a result was awarded the Congressional
26:28 Medal of Honor. If you want to know more about
26:32 his story and about the God who preserved him during a time of
26:36 war, I'd like to offer you a special, free book called
26:40 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." This book not only describes who
26:44 Desmond was, but also how to develop the kind of faith
26:49 Desmond had. To receive your copy of this
26:52 book, just call 1 (800) 253-3000 and ask for "The Faith of
26:57 Desmond Doss." Lines are open 24 hours daily.
27:01 They may be busy when you call, so keep trying.
27:04 You can also write to request this book from It Is Written at
27:07 P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee, 37401,
27:11 and we'll mail a copy to your address in North America.
27:15 This is a powerful little book, and it's yours absolutely free.
27:18 All you need to do is to call right now, 1 (800) 253-3000.
27:23 There's no cost and no catch. Simply call now and ask for
27:27 "The Faith of Desmond Doss." Or visit us online at
27:31 ItIsWritten.com and download a free electronic version of
27:36 this book. And thanks for remembering
27:38 It Is Written is a faith ministry,
27:41 made possible by the generosity of people like you.
27:44 We depend on you, and I greatly appreciate your financial
27:47 support. To enable It Is Written to
27:50 continue to share Jesus with the world, call us now on
27:53 (800) 253-3000. (800) 253-3000.
27:58 Or, write to It Is Written, P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga,
28:02 Tennesee, 37401. Or you can invest in
28:07 It Is Written's global ministry online at ItIsWritten.com.
28:13 Let's pray together. Our Father in Heaven,
28:15 we are thankful today for Jesus, who has won the war.
28:18 We thank you today for the strength of Your Spirit, and for
28:22 the example of people like Desmond Doss,
28:26 who through faith in You demonstrated what God can
28:30 do in a humble life. Lord, I pray that You would
28:34 take our hearts. Friend, is it time now for you
28:38 to give your heart to Jesus? You can do so now, by inviting
28:40 Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, and work in you as
28:43 He worked in Desmond Doss. Father, we thank You today for
28:48 inspiring us and for pointing our eyes and hearts and minds to
28:52 Jesus, who died so that we might live victoriously.
28:57 We thank You today, and we pray in Jesus' name, Amen.
29:04 [Music]
29:19 Thanks so much for joining me.
29:21 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time.
29:22 Until then, remember: It is written;
29:25 man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word
29:29 that proceeds from the mouth of God.
29:38 [Music]


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