The Walter Reed Guest House on the Walter Reed Army Medical Center installation will be renamed Doss Memorial Hall in honor of a gentle World War II Soldier medic, a Seventh-day Adventist who refused to drill or train on Saturdays or to ever carry a gun.
The dedication ceremony in honor of the late Pfc. Desmond T. Doss will be Wednesday in front of The Guest House (Bldg. 17) at 10:30 a.m.
Doss was born in Virginia in 1919. He enlisted into the U.S. Army as a conscientious objector on April 1, 1942, and served as a medic for the 77th Infantry Division. On April 29, 1945, his unit captured the 400-foot Maeda Escarpment on the island of Okinawa. Six days later, during a huge Japanese counterattack, the unit had to retreat.
Doss is credited with saving 75 lives by lowering sick, wounded comrades back down the cliff, one by one, for over five hours. For this and other courageous actions in those critical days, he was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman Oct. 12, 1945. He was the first conscientious objector to receive this citation.
Although wounded, Doss returned safely to his family after the war. He died in March 2006 at age 87. He is survived by his wife Frances and son Desmond Jr., who will be in attendance at this event. (PAO)
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