If you are a patriotic American you probably love your veterans. When we think of veterans and war heroes, we think of military strategists or even someone who stormed enemy lines leading to victory. There are countless heroes, such as George Washington, Ulysses Grant, and Dwight Eisenhower, who framed the path for what it is to be an honorable serviceman. However, there is one that is different from the others.
A man of peace, a man of God, a man of love – and the first ever conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor. This man is Desmond Doss, a medic during World War II. It is heartwarming to learn the bravery and the faith this man had. (Watch the movie Hacksaw Ridge for a visual representation).
The native Virginian had a desire to serve as soon as the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, but due to his strong Christian belief that “thou shall not murder,” he objected to carrying a rifle that would be used to kill the Japanese soldiers. He was aware of the price of war, but he did not want to be in the military to take a life but save it.
Doss was seen as unrespectable for this view by both his fellow soldiers and also commanding officers. They all wanted to get rid of him and saw him as a burden. According to Desmond Doss: The Real Story, “One man in the barracks warned him, ‘Doss, as soon as we get into combat, I'll make sure you won't come back alive.’”
Despite the pressure for him to leave and even facing a court-martial, Doss remained faithful in the mission God gave him. His faith made him is what I believe to be why he is a hero.
During his service at Hacksaw Ridge, “his iron determination and unflagging courage resulted in at least 75 lives saved that day, May 5, 1945, his Sabbath.” Despite the danger, he had the faith in God to help him save all those soldiers. He constantly would pray, “Lord, help me get one more” after saving every soldier.
Desmond can be seen as a model for anyone in the Convention of States movement. We are in a fight of our own to save a country that Doss and the men he saved fought to protect. While we don’t have bullets raining down on us, we do have corrupt politicians looking to take away the very thing that we love.
We need to pray to the Lord for help. It is through Him that we will reach the 34 states needed to call a convention. We need faith in the Lord. Proverbs 16:3 says, “Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will succeed.”
I think we can all agree with the phrase: “Lord help us get one more.”
