Desmond Doss was the first soldier ever to win the Medal Of Honor which is like the superbowl of military achievement. He accomplished this without firing a single bullet. My essay will be about a decision that Doss made and how it affected him. I will also share a decision I have made which relates to Desmond’s life. I will begin by examining the movie Hacksaw Ridge. Hacksaw Ridge is a movie about, Desmond Doss, an army medic in World War 2. He was was ordered to take Hacksaw Ridge in Japan. Although this Ridge had a reputation of violence, cruelty, inhumanity, and savagery Doss was ready to help the US soldiers if need be. After a couple of days of intense fighting, the US Army had to retreat or suffer greater casualty. Doss made the courageous decision not to retreat, but rather remain on the ridge and try to save as many soldiers as possible. He believed that it was his medical duty to serve the fallen US troops. He accomplished this heroic task without a weapon, backup, and dwindling medical supplies. Doss saved over seventy-five US troops that night. …show more content…
I believe this because I think that many people would just leave the ridge that night and not save the other soldiers. In contrast, Doss was not one of these types of people who flee when it becomes dangerous. However, some people might believe that Doss’s decision to stay on the ridge was crazy; they could not imagine putting oneself in harm's way, but I believe that this opinion is not true. This essay directly relates to a decision which affected by
In this quote, Wes Moore, the author, talks about how his high school teachers, Lieutenant Colonel Murnane, has uplifted him to devote his life to public service. The commandant of cadets, Colonel Billy Murphy, instructs Wes to make his time on earth “matter.” In the past, Wes observed the knowledge of life’s “transience” causing kids in the Bronx to behave with recklessness and indifference. This same knowledge now makes Wes see life as “precious.” Wes decides to go to the Valley Forge junior college, earn his associate’s degree, and be a second lieutenant in the Army. Wes has been chosen as the regimental commander for the 70th Corps of Cadets, the highest position in a group of 700. Wes is now responsible for the protection, well-being,
The author Wes had and accomplished goals. Specific achievements he’s made include, military school, getting acknowledged for his basketball talent, and receiving the Rhodes Scholarship. It all started when his mom decided to put him in military school. It took time for Wes to accept the military ways. Later the acceptance would cause him to actually “enjoy the school”(130). He’d work his way up from plebe to “paratrooper”(130). Wes was “one of the youngest officers in the entire United States Military”(134). It was a huge, story worthy experience for Wes. His high school sports career was astonishing too, enough for “The New York Times to run a two-page article”(130) about it. Eventually, the publication of his well-doing, “attracted colleges”(130) and gave him a chance to play with “NBA members, like Kobe Bryant”(130).
The purpose of this essay is to compare the of Wendell Berry’s essay, “The Failure of War”, Dorianne Laux’s poem, Staff Sgt. Metz and Damon Winter’s photograph of Sgt. Brian Keith. All three of these pieces represent the controversial issue of War which is a topic for a argumentative piece. In two of the written pieces the writer acknowledges the opposition, however, the picture the opposition is implied. Each piece has a purpose aimed at an audience with an emotional appeal.
During the first attempt at Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond was acting normally, saving the freshly wounded and remembering the freshly killed. He gave plasma and blood and might have even given morphine to Japanese soldiers (In the movie adaptation of Desmond Doss’ story, he gave some wounded Japanese soldiers Morphine, saying that it was “good”). During and after the retreat, Desmond still helped and save his fellow soldiers. As Hacksaw Ridge is about a 350-foot fall, according to the Wisconsin Public Radio, he would have to lower his friends and those who thought he would die in minutes.Even though the Japanese would never surrender, the Americans would not, either. During the second and more successful attempt at Hacksaw Ridge, Desmond Doss saved even more, which gave him one of 431 WWII Medals of Honor.In accordance with the Seventh-Day Adventists Church’s article about Desmond Doss, during the second raid on Hacksaw Ridge, one of the people, Desmond Doss’ commanding officer, Jack Glover, was shot and injured. Desmond saw him lying on the ground, bleeding to death. Even though earlier when Jack Glover tried to get him off the squad, Desmond did not hold a grudge against him, and saved him along with many others. In the movie adaptation of this battle, the soldiers, after realising what Desmond Doss did, they showed him more respect for what he did on his Sabbath. After the entire squadron waited until Desmond Doss finished praying for their safety. He finished and they pushed the Japanese into a position of surrendering; However, one the officers pulled a grenade on most of the American soldiers. Desmond, being a savior more than a killer, blocked the grenade, and took most of the grenade, nearly killing him. Desmond soon recovered, and even though he had a bad leg, he would not stop saving
“It was a typical of being in the war. Things changed rapidly in a matter of seconds and no one had any control over anything, We had yet to learn these things and implement survival tactics, which was what it came down to.” Beah pg.29
In his novel, If I Die in a Combat Zone, Tim O’Brien attempts to discover an appropriate definition of courage by reflecting upon his comrades, philosophers, and himself. Throughout the novel, O’Brien grapples with whether to be courageous by staying and fighting even though he is fighting a war in which he deems as wrongly conceived and poorly justified, or be courageous by standing for what he believes is ethical but become a deserter. Through the influence of others and self-contemplation of the definition of courage, O’Brien exemplifies the extremity in which America viewed courage as a necessary characteristic for an American soldier to possess during the Vietnam War.
Since the beginning of time, humans have sought after power and control. It is human instinct to desire to be the undisputed champion, but when does it become a problem? Warfare has been practiced throughout civilization as a way to justify power. Though the orders come directly from one man, thousands of men and women pay the ultimate sacrifice. In Randall Jerrell’s “The Death of a Ball Turret Gunner”, Jarrell is commenting on the brutality of warfare. Not only does Jarrell address the tragedies of war, he also blames politics, war leaders, and the soldier’s acknowledgement of his duties. (Hill 6) With only five lines of text, his poems allows the reader to understand what a soldier can go through. With the use of Jerrell’s poem, The Vietnam War, and Brian Turner’s “Ameriki Jundee”, the truth of combat will be revealed.
Surviving the war was not a matter of intelligently planned decisions, but a series of reactions triggered by primal instincts. The animal instincts within strong soldiers inhibited
In the film Hacksaw Ridge, Andrew Garfield portrays Desmond Doss a WWII American Army Medic who served during the Battle of Okinawa. The film takes you through his entire childhood and threw his difficult experiences in the Army as well as his upbringing and how this shaped his views, especially his religious view and anti-killing stance. You also see Doss's trials and difficulties after enlisting in the Army and trying to become a medic. And last but not least the film takes you through the harsh battle that Doss and his fellow soldiers undergo.
The main character of this story is Desmond Doss. Desmond Doss is a Conscientious Objector and he decided to join the Army to serve his country. But since he was a Conscientious Objector he promised to himself that he would never touch a gun. While in boot camp he was mistreated by his sergeant and fellow soldiers for his belief. He later trained to become a Combat medic to help his fellow soldiers because he did not want to carry a gun. Before he got deployed he met Dorthy were he got married to her before going to Japan. While over there they attacked the ridge of Okinawa known as Hacksaw Ridge. Most men that were deployed of there were killed trying to take the ridge to gain a foothold in Okinawa, Japan. He was most well known for his action upon the ridge. He saved over 75 lives while not touching a single gun. After he saved another man he would say “Please lord let me get one more.” He ended up gaining the respect and adoration of the men he served alongside. At the end of the movie he was awarded the first purple heart for a Consensus Objector. Also because of his work inspiring the other soldiers they were able to take the ridge.
On July 2 of the battle, more than “15,000 soldiers were killed or wounded in just six hours of the battling.” The casualties on just that one day are more than “three times the number of American casualties in the D-Day invasion of Normandy on June 6, 1944.” These numbers would be sure to find itself in American history as being the bloodiest battle in US history, but the battle 's greater importance
This World War II epic follows Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield), a Seventh Day Adventist and conscientious objector to the war. Despite his objection to killing, something he is so opposed to that he refuses to even carry a weapon, Doss feels it’s his duty to help the war effort. He signs up to be a medic, faces bullying in boot camp for his beliefs and eventually saves approximately
On the first day of battle, many soldiers were sent in to the area between our land and our enemy’s land, what we call “no man’s land”. It was muddy and the tanks were unable to make it through, leaving our men vulnerable. So many men died that I began to lose hope that I could ever return back home alive.
Desmond Doss Saved 75 lives of his fallen comrades through courage and bravery when the odds were stacked against him. His unit retreated and he was the last of his unit still in the battlefield that wasn't injured. Mel Gibson really shows How brave Desmond truly was while facing the enemy barehanded. Throughout the night Desmond was constantly saving his fallen comrades who in the beginning thought he was a coward and wouldn’t help save them at all. When Desmond save as many comrades as he could find. After he is brought back to the camp with all of the men from his unit he saved. In the middle of the conversation with his squad his commander came in a told him that they were going to be going into battle again tomorrow which was his day of sabbath. The next morning Desmond’s squad would not leave until Desmond was done praying for all of them. I feel it was more because his squad members felt that if they were to be injured they could have faith that Desmond would make sure they have the best chance for survival. When they climbed up to the battlefield they were there for a short time before they were ambushed and two grenades got
In the movie Hacksaw Ridge it did helped me understand to topic of the Battle of Okinawa in World War II. The movie helped me picture the historical portrayal of Private Doss saving each and every soldier that fought in the war. Is showed the way he was strong saving them and also for keeping his faith in God throughout his position in the military. Doss had enlisted as a medic and refused to carry a rifle. In reality there are men in the military that refuse to pick up a rifle due to them having a promise with God and/or obey the 10 commandments. I understand it better after the movie because of them showing how he did it saving the soldiers in the hacksaw ridge, the reaction of the soldiers when the captains ordered him to pick up a rifle, and how the Japanese quickly killed them as soon as they saw them. Throughout the movie I just thought first how strong he was to go back and save any soldier that was alive because nobody now a day has the guts to do that and second to keep his faith and promise with god. Also for his dad not accepting Doss and his brother to join the army, and the still joined to protect their country. The movie Red Tails showed me that it doesn’t matter what color, heritage, or male/female you can do anything. It was the Tuskegee Airmen that were African Americans that were servicemen during the World War II. Ever men had a hard time trying to do their job and to fit it even though there was hard times to do that in the same time. In today’s world