I unfortunately grew up in a household of violence inflicted on my family as a result of my father’s experiences serving his country during The Great War. Due to this violence, I would fight my own brother to release this built-up aggression. One afternoon, I took this too far by nearly taking my brother’s life. All that rang through my head was God’s sixth commandment that says “thou shalt not kill.” This resulted in me further devoting myself to my Christian faith that I grew up with. In 1942, when many of my friends began to enlist to serve their country, I felt the need to enlist as well. However, I could not go against my religion and take someone’s life. This culminated in a lengthy process where I would be humiliated and assaulted during basic training for refusing to even touch a gun. For standing strong in my faith when facing this adversity, I was tried for a section 8 discharge after gaining the title of being a conscientious objector. I never liked that term all that much. Once this trial was thrown out, I served in Guam and the Philippines in 1944.
My most eminent actions were in 1945 on Hacksaw Ridge in Okinawa, Japan, where I saved roughly 75 injured soldiers from the Japanese who hunted down the wounded once each battalion of men retreated. When I was left on that ridge to bring back those soldiers, I was praying to God to let me bring back “one more, God, please just one more.” After saving those men, I would later have to be evacuated from Hacksaw Ridge on May 21, 1945, because of the injuries I received from kicking away a grenade thrown at us by a Japanese soldier, saving even more lives. President Harry S. Truman awarded me the Congressional Medal of Honour on October 12, 1945, because of my “outstanding gallantry far above and beyond the call of duty” that I displayed on Hacksaw Ridge. I was the first conscientious objector to receive this prestigious award.
I cannot imagine the impact God had on those 75 men. Because of my actions through Him, I gave them a second chance to start a family and hopefully live a long, happy, and fulfilling life. However, I do not take credit for my actions. It was thanks to the grace of God that those men were able to live another day. Moreover, I have paved the way for religious conscientious objectors like me to have the opportunity to serve their country. Fortunately, there would be many other conscientious objectors awarded similar decorations for their actions in the following years
I cannot imagine the impact God had on those 75 men. Because of my actions through Him, I gave them a second chance to start a family and hopefully live a long, happy, and fulfilling life. However, I do not take credit for my actions. It was thanks to the grace of God that those men were able to live another day. Moreover, I have paved the way for religious conscientious objectors like me to have the opportunity to serve their country. Fortunately, there would be many other conscientious objectors awarded similar decorations for their actions in the following years