President Harry Truman presents Desmond Doss with the Medal of Honor
On October 12, 1945, Desmond T. Doss became the first conscientious objector to receive the Medal of Honor. Doss was a devout Seventh-day Adventist who refused to carry a gun but wanted to serve his country. After a great deal of ridicule, Doss gained the respect of his fellow soldiers after repeatedly risking his life to save and care for the wounded.
The Medal of Honor citation describes several heroic acts of Private First Class Doss including the following:
As our troops gained the summit, a heavy concentration of artillery, mortar and machine gun fire crashed into them, inflicting approximately 75 casualties and driving the others back. Pfc. Doss refused to seek cover and remained in the fire-swept area with the many stricken, carrying all 75 casualties one-by-one to the edge of the escarpment and there lowering them on a rope-supported litter down the face of a cliff to friendly hands.
You can read the full citation on this Memorial page.
In 2004, an award-winning documentary was released called The Conscientious Objector. This film commemorates Doss and the many sacrifices he made for his country. Doss died on March 23, 2006, after spending many years tending his garden in Piedmont, Alabama.