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Stories of American Heroes - Brought to you from the "Home of Heroes" - Pueblo, Colorado
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Stories of American Heroes - Brought to you from the "Home of Heroes" - Pueblo, Colorado |
Desmond T. Doss The Soldier and his SWORD |
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Desmond Doss came home a hero, recognized where ever he went. He built, with his own hands, a special home on Lookout Mountain in Rising Fawn, Georgia where he and his wife raised their son, Desmond Thomas Doss, Jr.
In addition to the flag Desmond proudly flies daily from his mountain retreat, a large replica of the Statue of Liberty adorns the front yard. But Desmond doesn't hide away on the Mountain. As he did during his military service, he still seeks every opportunity to share his faith and minister to the needs of others. In 1965 the U.S. Congress voted to provide each living recipient of the Medal of Honor a monthly stipend of $100. Desmond Doss used much of his stipend, as well as his other income, to fund the Civilian Defense Rescue Service for Walker County, Georgia. |
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The following year that new organization met their first test when a group of seven Boy Scouts and their leader became lost in a dark, wet, gas-filled cavern. The new Walker County CDRS worked around the clock to find and rescue them. Desmond Doss himself spent more consecutive hours in that cave, working harder, than anyone else.
Desmond himself suffered long, lingering after effects of his war service. Tuberculosis in both lungs, probably contracted during his service in the Pacific, left Desmond totally disabled and often near death. This lead to hearing problems that were only overcome by a dedicated wife. Despite his own health problems, Desmond never quit giving. Throughout his life he has never turned down an opportunity to speak to any group that it was humanly possible for him to attend. Dorothy was always there to help and together, the two felt they could accomplish wonderful things for God's glory. In 1982 Dorothy was diagnosed with cancer and underwent surgery. For eight years her health improved, then suddenly began to degenerate. Early on the morning of November 17, 1991 as Desmond drove her to one of her regular treatments at the hospital below Lookout Mountain, Desmond's car went out of control and plunged over an embankment. Dorothy's suffering ended that morning.
In his time of sorrow, Desmond Doss knew that God was still in control. And God still had work for Desmond Doss to do. After months of struggling with his grief and loneliness, God brought a help-meet to Lookout Mountain. Desmond and Frances Doss were married on July 1, 1993 and continued the work they felt called to perform. In 1998 Frances Doss wrote the story of Desmond's life in a beautiful 200 page, illustrated book. You can purchase a copy of DESMOND DOSS, IN GOD'S CARE for $15 (pp) by writing: Frances Doss |
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| Desmond Doss Passed Away on March 23, 2006. Recently the story of Desmond Doss was produced as a video documentary. You can order the video "The Conscious Objector" directly from his widow Frances at the above address for $22 Postage Paid. The documentary is available in either VHS or DVD format, so please specify which you prefer in your order. To view a streaming media preview of the documentary, click on the image at left. |
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Members of the Seventh-Day Adventist churches are encouraged to serve their Country as did Desmond Doss. Desmond himself always disliked the term "conscientious objector" for he did not object to military service, only to the taking of another human life. In the state of Michigan, Seventh-Day Adventist youth train for medical service at a special facility....CAMP DESMOND T. DOSS.
The island of Okinawa has recovered from the effects of the war and is today one of the most beautiful islands in the Pacific. Enshrined there at the Maeda Escarpment is a special bronze tablet, a monument to a true hero, Desmond Thomas Doss.
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| Desmond Doss at Indianapolis on Memorial Day 1999. Photo Courtesy of IPALCO. | Frances and Desmond with Eileen and Bill Crawford (front) and Robert S. Scott (back) in Pueblo, 1996 | With the help of a boy from the audience, Desmond Doss shows a group of students how he tied the wounded to lower them from the Maeda Escarpment. | Ever ministering to others, Desmond took special time with this young Pueblo student who had recently undergone a cochlear implant. |
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© 1999-2014 by HomeOfHeroes.com 2115 West 13th Street - Pueblo, CO 81003 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Unless otherwise noted, all materials by C. Douglas Sterner |
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