Statement in Support of the Desmond Doss Medal of Honor
ca. 1945
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First Lieutenant Onless C. Brister submitted this statement describing the medical aid that Private First Class Desmond Doss gave to injured soldiers from April 29 to May 8 on Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands.
Doss was a contentious objector during World War II. He entered the military, but refused to kill enemy soldiers or carry a weapon because of his religious beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. He served in a non-combatant role as a medic. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 – one of the few conscientious objectors ever to earn the award – for his heroic action assisting injured soldiers near Urasoe-Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands.
Brister's statement, and others like it from fellow soldiers, helped support awarding the Medal of Honor to Doss.
Doss was a contentious objector during World War II. He entered the military, but refused to kill enemy soldiers or carry a weapon because of his religious beliefs as a Seventh-day Adventist. He served in a non-combatant role as a medic. He was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 – one of the few conscientious objectors ever to earn the award – for his heroic action assisting injured soldiers near Urasoe-Mura, Okinawa, Ryukyu Islands.
Brister's statement, and others like it from fellow soldiers, helped support awarding the Medal of Honor to Doss.
This primary source comes from the Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter).
National Archives Identifier: 595202
Full Citation: 1LT Onless C. Brister's Statement Used in Support of the Desmond Doss Medal of Honor; ca. 1945; 200.6 Awards and Decorations "D"; Correspondence Files, 1944 - 1945; Records of U.S. Army Operational, Tactical, and Support Organizations (World War II and Thereafter), Record Group 338; National Archives at College Park, College Park, MD. [Online Version, https://www.docsteach.org/documents/document/brister-statement, April 25, 2024]Rights: Public Domain, Free of Known Copyright Restrictions. Learn more on our privacy and legal page.