It Is Written

Who Was Desmond Doss?

Three Angels Broadcasting Network

Program transcript

Participants:

Series Code: IIW

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

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