10 Unsung Heroes Of History

Striding into battle without a weapon is surely an equal balance of immense bravery and dedication to pacifism. Desmond Doss was such a man, most known for serving as a medic at the bloody Battle of Okinawa.

Born in Lynchburg Virginia to a Christian family, Doss would maintain his faith into adulthood, and eventually the Army, where he would serve in multiple battles of the Pacific War.

Doss carried only a bible into a battle that claimed the lives of over 120,000 soldiers and 100,000 civilians, saving at least 75 lives on the field of war. It's a wonder, then, that his name is only truly remembered following Andrew Garfield's portrayal of him in the 2016 film Hacksaw Ridge.

A true model of selflessness, Desmond Doss would offer water from his own canteen to wounded soldiers, and though he himself sustained multiple wounds, he would give his life so another could live. After his military exploits, Corporal Doss received the Congressional Medal of Honor from President Truman, the only conscientious objector to achieve such a feat.

While others were busy taking life, he was busy saving it.