1 00:00:01,160 --> 00:00:04,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to steph you missed in history class from house 2 00:00:04,440 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:18,640 Speaker 1: Tracy Vie Wilson. I'm Holly Frying. We pretty recently did 4 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: two episodes on birired Rustin, and in those episodes we 5 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: talked a little bit about conscience objection to military service fired. 6 00:00:26,120 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: Drustin was a Quaker, and because he was a pacifist, 7 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,879 Speaker 1: his conscience objection to war also evolved to include an 8 00:00:32,920 --> 00:00:36,599 Speaker 1: objection to conscripting people into the military. So at one 9 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,960 Speaker 1: point he had actually registered as a conscientious objector, which 10 00:00:40,000 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: meant that if he had been drafted, they could be 11 00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: assigned to alternate noncombat service. But after this evolution in 12 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: his views, he instead rescinded his registration and went to 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,240 Speaker 1: federal prison instead. Some of the response that we got 14 00:00:54,280 --> 00:00:58,200 Speaker 1: to that episode moved today's topic farther up ahead on 15 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: my short list of subjects. Shortlist is like fifty things long. 16 00:01:02,400 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: My shortlists has a very similar number. It's sartah, it's 17 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: the whole year whereth the podcast. Uh So it moved 18 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:16,520 Speaker 1: this topic ahead in that in that short list, A 19 00:01:16,640 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: Desmond T. Doss was also a conscientious objector but his 20 00:01:20,440 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: choices relating to this objection took a really different form 21 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:28,039 Speaker 1: from Byrod Rustens. Doss did serve in the military in 22 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: a non combat role, and he was the first conscientious 23 00:01:31,480 --> 00:01:34,400 Speaker 1: objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor. So today 24 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,560 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about him, as well as a 25 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: little bit about two other conscientious objectors who have also 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:44,000 Speaker 1: been awarded the same honor. Before we get into Dosson's story, 27 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:46,160 Speaker 1: we're going to level set a little bit with a 28 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: look at some of the history of conscience objection in 29 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,000 Speaker 1: the Western world. Doss and both of the other men 30 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: that we're going to talk about we're from the United States, 31 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:57,960 Speaker 1: but conscience objection in general is something that exists in 32 00:01:58,040 --> 00:02:01,640 Speaker 1: a lot of other nations as well, So although the 33 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:05,040 Speaker 1: basic idea is a whole lot older. The term conscientious 34 00:02:05,080 --> 00:02:08,000 Speaker 1: objector seems to have been coined sometime in the early 35 00:02:08,120 --> 00:02:12,120 Speaker 1: nineteenth century to describe a person who refuses to comply 36 00:02:12,240 --> 00:02:15,720 Speaker 1: with the requirement because doing so would violate their conscience. 37 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:18,960 Speaker 1: So this term has been applied to all kinds of 38 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,320 Speaker 1: requirements related to lots of different services and fields and circumstances. 39 00:02:23,360 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: This includes medicine and law, but today we are really 40 00:02:26,480 --> 00:02:31,480 Speaker 1: sticking to the context of conscience and military service. Issues 41 00:02:31,560 --> 00:02:35,359 Speaker 1: of conscience objection typically only come up when military service 42 00:02:35,520 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: is mandatory in some way. This was true of the 43 00:02:38,560 --> 00:02:44,000 Speaker 1: person typically cited as history's first conscientious objector. That was Maximilianus, 44 00:02:44,080 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 1: who was the son of a Roman army veteran. He 45 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: was required to join the military when he turned twenty one, 46 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:54,480 Speaker 1: and this was back in the year to Maximilianus refused, 47 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,480 Speaker 1: citing his Christian beliefs as his reason for refusal, and 48 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:03,880 Speaker 1: he was beheaded for doing so. Historically, conscience objection to 49 00:03:03,919 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 1: military service has usually not always been connected to pacifist religions, 50 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,000 Speaker 1: and this meant that in Europe conscious objection became a 51 00:03:12,080 --> 00:03:16,760 Speaker 1: lot more common following the Protestant Reformation. After the Reformation, 52 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,560 Speaker 1: the number and focus of religious denominations became a lot 53 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:24,160 Speaker 1: more diverse, and a lot more people began to choose 54 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,720 Speaker 1: which faith to belong to, rather than following a state 55 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:32,560 Speaker 1: sponsored or nationally consistent religion. So Mena Nites, for example, 56 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: were exempt from mandatory guard duties because of their pacifist beliefs. 57 00:03:36,960 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: During the Dutch Wars of Independence in the sixteenth century, 58 00:03:40,920 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: standards and rules about how how to handle conscience objections 59 00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:48,480 Speaker 1: also spread along with conscription into start standing armies in 60 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,440 Speaker 1: Europe following the French Revolution. Nations saw a need to 61 00:03:52,600 --> 00:03:55,920 Speaker 1: establish and maintain a standing army, but they also saw 62 00:03:55,960 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: a need not to force their citizens to violate their 63 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: religious principles in doing so. It was really the twentieth 64 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:08,160 Speaker 1: century before conscience objection sort of coalesced into an anti 65 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:11,680 Speaker 1: war movement strategy. That was when people really started to 66 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: describe themselves as conscientious objectors rather than describing conscription or 67 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: military service or a specific war as something that was 68 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:24,200 Speaker 1: against their religion. And the idea that someone could have 69 00:04:24,440 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: a conscious objection to war personally without being without it 70 00:04:28,200 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: being based in a very specific organized religion started to 71 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,640 Speaker 1: become more common around the First World World War as well, 72 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:38,279 Speaker 1: and at the start of World War One, many European 73 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:42,600 Speaker 1: nations and the United States added specific conscious objection rules 74 00:04:42,600 --> 00:04:46,400 Speaker 1: to their conscription policies, in part because of advocacy on 75 00:04:46,440 --> 00:04:50,240 Speaker 1: the part of pacifist religious groups. When World War One ended, 76 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:54,680 Speaker 1: most but not all European nations ended their conscription programs, 77 00:04:54,920 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 1: which temporarily tabled the issue of conscience objection. When conscriptions 78 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: started up again before and during World War Two, a 79 00:05:03,640 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: lot of nations again offered alternative service to conscientious objectors, 80 00:05:07,880 --> 00:05:11,240 Speaker 1: although people who felt like their conscience wouldn't allow them 81 00:05:11,279 --> 00:05:13,560 Speaker 1: to support the war in any way, even if it 82 00:05:13,600 --> 00:05:16,280 Speaker 1: were in a non combat role still usually wound up 83 00:05:16,279 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 1: being sentenced the time in prison. Today, many nations around 84 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,200 Speaker 1: the world view conscience objection as a fundamental human right 85 00:05:24,320 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 1: protected by international law. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights 86 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,680 Speaker 1: was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 87 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 1: tenth of ninety in the wake of World War Two. 88 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:40,520 Speaker 1: Article eighteen of that declaration reads quote, everyone has the 89 00:05:40,640 --> 00:05:44,440 Speaker 1: right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion. This right 90 00:05:44,520 --> 00:05:47,920 Speaker 1: includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom 91 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,839 Speaker 1: either alone or in a community with others, and in 92 00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:56,560 Speaker 1: public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship, 93 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:02,280 Speaker 1: and observance. Article eighteen of the International Covenant on Civil 94 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:05,160 Speaker 1: and Political Rights, which was adopted in nineteen sixty six, 95 00:06:05,560 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: builds on this idea. Further part one of that article 96 00:06:09,839 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: we is is really similar to what Holly just read, 97 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:16,200 Speaker 1: and then it continues to no one shall be subject 98 00:06:16,279 --> 00:06:19,520 Speaker 1: to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or 99 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: adopt a religion or belief of his choice. Three freedom 100 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: to manifest ones religion or beliefs may be subject only 101 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,520 Speaker 1: to such limitations as are prescribed by law and are 102 00:06:30,680 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: necessary to protect public safety, order, health, or morals, or 103 00:06:34,560 --> 00:06:39,600 Speaker 1: the fundamental rights and freedoms of others. Although this Declaration 104 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: and Covenant don't specifically mention conscience objection, many nations have 105 00:06:44,839 --> 00:06:49,080 Speaker 1: interpreted conscience objection as an aspect of the freedom of thought, conscience, 106 00:06:49,080 --> 00:06:53,119 Speaker 1: and religion. Also, the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, 107 00:06:53,160 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: which was replaced by the Human Rights Council in two 108 00:06:55,600 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: thousand six, has issued a number of other declarations that 109 00:06:59,120 --> 00:07:03,960 Speaker 1: do specific addressed conscience objection. Although these aren't legally binding 110 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: among member states, they spell out conscience objection as being 111 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:10,120 Speaker 1: part of the fundamental human right to freedom of thought. 112 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,680 Speaker 1: The first of these was Resolution nine seven forty six, 113 00:07:15,040 --> 00:07:17,760 Speaker 1: which was passed in nineteen eighty seven with twenty six 114 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: votes in favor, two against, and fourteen obstentions. The following year, 115 00:07:22,600 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: the Commission on Human Rights issued Resolution seventy seven, specifying 116 00:07:27,120 --> 00:07:30,080 Speaker 1: that everyone has the right to conscience objection and calling 117 00:07:30,160 --> 00:07:34,200 Speaker 1: on states that don't have conscience objection policies to develop 118 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: them in a non discriminatory way. A number of other 119 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:41,280 Speaker 1: resolutions upholding the right to conscience objection have followed since then. 120 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: Not every United Nations member state has agreed with those 121 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: resolutions or with the interpretation that conscience objection is a 122 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: fundamental human right. For example, Singapore drafted a letter to 123 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,240 Speaker 1: the Commission in two thousand two that was co signed 124 00:07:56,240 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: by sixteen member states, does include Bangladesh, bots Wanna, China, Egypt, Eritrea, Iran, Iraq, Lebanon, 125 00:08:05,800 --> 00:08:12,480 Speaker 1: me and mar Rwanda, Singapore, Sudan, Syria, Thailand, Tanzania and Vietnam, 126 00:08:12,760 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: stating that they quote do not recognize the universal applicability 127 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: of conscientious objection to military service. And of course, not 128 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:23,920 Speaker 1: every nation on earth is a member state of the 129 00:08:24,080 --> 00:08:28,200 Speaker 1: United Nations. There are so many nuances to all this, 130 00:08:28,320 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: and from an ethical and moral standpoint, the decision to 131 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:34,600 Speaker 1: object or not to object is an incredibly personal one. 132 00:08:35,040 --> 00:08:38,200 Speaker 1: And if conscience objection is a fundamental human right, then 133 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,160 Speaker 1: that means that people who do serve in the military 134 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:44,560 Speaker 1: are fighting to protect the right not to. Whether they 135 00:08:44,600 --> 00:08:47,440 Speaker 1: agree with the existence of that right are not. And 136 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,839 Speaker 1: there have also been lots of times in history when 137 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:53,920 Speaker 1: the idea of conscience objections has become just incredibly divisive, 138 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:56,800 Speaker 1: and the most obvious is probably during the Vietnam War. 139 00:08:57,640 --> 00:08:59,840 Speaker 1: All of that is really outside the scope of our 140 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,319 Speaker 1: show today, but we would be remiss if we did 141 00:09:02,320 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: not at least acknowledge it. So for Desmond T. Doss, 142 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,640 Speaker 1: the decision not to fight was not actually even something 143 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: he thought of as a conscience objection. He actually preferred 144 00:09:13,640 --> 00:09:16,800 Speaker 1: to be called a conscientious cooperator. And we're going to 145 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:19,240 Speaker 1: talk about him after a brief word from one of 146 00:09:19,240 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: our sponsors. Desmond T. Doss was born in Lynchburg, Virginia, 147 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,400 Speaker 1: on February seventh nine. His mother worked in a shoe 148 00:09:35,440 --> 00:09:38,480 Speaker 1: factory and his father was a carpenter, and their family 149 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: were members of the Seventh day Adventist Church. In their home, 150 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:45,800 Speaker 1: they had a framed poster that displayed the illustrated ten 151 00:09:45,880 --> 00:09:49,240 Speaker 1: Commandments in the Lord's Prayer, and the illustration of the 152 00:09:49,280 --> 00:09:52,000 Speaker 1: sixth commandment of thou shalt not kill was of Caine 153 00:09:52,520 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: having just killed his brother Abel from the Book of Genesis. 154 00:09:57,760 --> 00:10:01,600 Speaker 1: This image had an almost visceral impact on the young Desmond. 155 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 1: He was appalled at the idea that one brother could 156 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: murder another, and he also believed that bearing arms was 157 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:13,040 Speaker 1: a sin against God. In April of nineteen forty two, 158 00:10:13,120 --> 00:10:16,439 Speaker 1: Dawson enlisted an army for World War Two. Although he 159 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: was designated as a conscientious objector, he didn't actually have 160 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: an objection to serving as long as he didn't have 161 00:10:23,080 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: to kill anyone or carry a weapon and could observe 162 00:10:26,000 --> 00:10:30,640 Speaker 1: the Sabbath each Saturday. To reconcile his service with his faith, 163 00:10:30,720 --> 00:10:33,960 Speaker 1: doc Dos became a medic. Being a medic would let 164 00:10:34,040 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: him help people rather than harm them, and he didn't 165 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: have an objection to doing actual medical work on Saturday since, 166 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:45,800 Speaker 1: and his words quote Christ, healed on a Sabbath. Even so, 167 00:10:46,080 --> 00:10:49,280 Speaker 1: Dosh faced harassment and derision from his peers while they 168 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:52,680 Speaker 1: were in training. In addition to his religious refusal to 169 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:55,720 Speaker 1: carry a weapon or do non medical work like participating 170 00:10:55,760 --> 00:10:59,800 Speaker 1: in drills on Saturdays, he continued his practice of devotion 171 00:10:59,840 --> 00:11:03,960 Speaker 1: in prayers. He was also a vegetarian for religious reasons. 172 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,280 Speaker 1: At one point, his commanding officer attempted to have him 173 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:10,000 Speaker 1: discharged from the army on the grounds that he was 174 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:14,800 Speaker 1: mentally ill. Doss's response quote, I'd be a very poor 175 00:11:14,920 --> 00:11:17,839 Speaker 1: Christian if I accepted a discharge, implying that I was 176 00:11:17,960 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: mentally off because of my religion. In the end, though, 177 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:25,880 Speaker 1: Dos completed his training and was deployed with the three 178 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:30,679 Speaker 1: seventh Infantry seventy seventy seventh Infantry Division. He left for 179 00:11:30,720 --> 00:11:33,320 Speaker 1: Guam in the summer of nineteen forty four, and he 180 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 1: served as a medic both there and on the Island 181 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:39,240 Speaker 1: of Laity in the Philippines, earning the Bronze Star for 182 00:11:39,320 --> 00:11:43,559 Speaker 1: his heroism. In the spring of nineteen forty five, Doss 183 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:46,199 Speaker 1: was part of the Battle of Okinawa, which stretched from 184 00:11:46,240 --> 00:11:49,760 Speaker 1: April one to June twenty two of nineteen forty and 185 00:11:49,800 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: pitted the US and its allies against Japanese troops that 186 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:57,679 Speaker 1: were deeply entrenched in caves, tunnels, and other cover. Doss's 187 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:00,400 Speaker 1: unit was on the four hundred foot tall ridget Ada 188 00:12:01,040 --> 00:12:04,720 Speaker 1: escarpment when a Japanese force staged a counter attack on 189 00:12:04,760 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 1: Saturday May five. Doss was the only medic with them 190 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: on the escarpment, and while some of the American force 191 00:12:13,520 --> 00:12:16,199 Speaker 1: was able to retreat back down, a lot of the 192 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 1: men who were wounded were stranded on top of this 193 00:12:19,080 --> 00:12:22,240 Speaker 1: ridge and pinned down under fire from the Japanese force. 194 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: Doss remained with the wounded men, and he rigged a 195 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,640 Speaker 1: sling to evacuate them one at a time down the 196 00:12:29,679 --> 00:12:32,880 Speaker 1: face of a cliff, using knots and techniques that he 197 00:12:32,920 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: had learned as a youth when working in a flood rescue. 198 00:12:36,120 --> 00:12:39,040 Speaker 1: He used a tree stump to anchor his sling, He 199 00:12:39,120 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 1: loaded each wounded man into it, and he lowered them 200 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,000 Speaker 1: thirty five feet to safety on a protected ledge below. 201 00:12:45,600 --> 00:12:48,480 Speaker 1: He did this over and over while under fire, until 202 00:12:48,559 --> 00:12:52,280 Speaker 1: every man was down, and then he lowered himself. His 203 00:12:52,360 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: commanding officer wanted to credit him with saving a hundred 204 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:57,839 Speaker 1: men's lives that day, He said it was only more 205 00:12:57,880 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: like fifty, and they eventually compromise at seventy. His heroic 206 00:13:03,160 --> 00:13:06,440 Speaker 1: efforts to save people's lives did not stop there, though. 207 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:10,520 Speaker 1: He basically continued to rescue men from under fire repeatedly, 208 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,120 Speaker 1: including carrying people to safety while being fired upon for 209 00:13:14,200 --> 00:13:17,400 Speaker 1: pretty much the whole next week. On May twelve, he 210 00:13:17,480 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: was injured by a grenade and had multiple shrapnel injuries 211 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,640 Speaker 1: to his legs. Although another medic was nearby, Dass cared 212 00:13:24,679 --> 00:13:28,600 Speaker 1: for his injuries himself for five hours, rather than having 213 00:13:28,640 --> 00:13:32,360 Speaker 1: the other medic risk his own safety and come to help. Then, 214 00:13:32,440 --> 00:13:35,920 Speaker 1: when Dass was finally evacuated, he saw another soldier whose 215 00:13:35,960 --> 00:13:38,520 Speaker 1: need he thought was greater, so he got off the 216 00:13:38,559 --> 00:13:41,320 Speaker 1: litter he was being carried on and asked the medics 217 00:13:41,320 --> 00:13:45,640 Speaker 1: to take care of that other man instead. Then, while 218 00:13:45,679 --> 00:13:47,720 Speaker 1: he was waiting for them to come back for him, 219 00:13:47,760 --> 00:13:50,200 Speaker 1: he was struck in the arm by enemy fire and 220 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:54,160 Speaker 1: sustained a compound fracture, And possibly the only time in 221 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,560 Speaker 1: his life that he ever handled a weapon, he made 222 00:13:56,600 --> 00:13:59,240 Speaker 1: a splint for himself out of a rifle stock and 223 00:13:59,280 --> 00:14:03,360 Speaker 1: then crawl to an aid station three yards away with 224 00:14:03,400 --> 00:14:07,280 Speaker 1: one of his arms broken and splinted. Just stand in 225 00:14:07,360 --> 00:14:12,120 Speaker 1: awe of all of this. I can't even grasp the 226 00:14:12,200 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 1: fortitude a person has to have, which is why he 227 00:14:15,640 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: earned the nickname the wonder Man of Okinawa. Desmondos was 228 00:14:21,560 --> 00:14:23,760 Speaker 1: one of the men awarded the Medal of Honor by 229 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:28,280 Speaker 1: President Harry S. Truman on October twelfth, ninety Doss had 230 00:14:28,320 --> 00:14:30,480 Speaker 1: been a private when he took these actions that led 231 00:14:30,480 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: to this recognition, and he was a corporal when it 232 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: was actually awarded to him. His injuries from the war, however, 233 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: were extensive and he needed ongoing medical care, and he 234 00:14:41,080 --> 00:14:44,680 Speaker 1: eventually lost a lung to tuberculosis. He spent about six 235 00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,880 Speaker 1: years in hospitals trying to recover, and he had planned 236 00:14:47,880 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: to go to a trade school and become a florist, 237 00:14:50,560 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 1: but the extent of his injuries and illnesses made that impossible. 238 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,200 Speaker 1: He devoted most of his life instead to religious work, 239 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,680 Speaker 1: and in nineteen seventy six he said only lost his 240 00:15:00,760 --> 00:15:06,360 Speaker 1: hearing in Das's first wife, Dorothy, who he had married 241 00:15:06,400 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: in nineteen forty two before leaving for the service, died 242 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: in a car accident. He remarried about three years later, 243 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: and his second wife, Francis, was still living when Doss 244 00:15:15,920 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: died on March twenty, two, thousand six, at the age 245 00:15:18,600 --> 00:15:22,920 Speaker 1: of eighty seven. In seven, he said in an interview quote, 246 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:25,600 Speaker 1: I wasn't trying to be a hero. I was thinking 247 00:15:25,640 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: about it from this standpoint. In a house on fire 248 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:30,640 Speaker 1: and a mother has a child in that house, what 249 00:15:30,800 --> 00:15:33,720 Speaker 1: prompts her to go in and get that child? Love? 250 00:15:34,400 --> 00:15:36,960 Speaker 1: I loved my men, and they loved me. I don't 251 00:15:37,000 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: consider myself a hero. I just couldn't give them up, 252 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:43,080 Speaker 1: just like that mother couldn't give up the child. For 253 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,640 Speaker 1: all of his life, he credited God with his survival 254 00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: during the war. After another brief sponsor break, we will 255 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 1: talk a little bit about two other conscientious objectors who 256 00:15:53,600 --> 00:16:00,080 Speaker 1: have also been awarded the Medal of Honor. So you 257 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,480 Speaker 1: have talked about squares Space before on the podcast. Both 258 00:16:02,600 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: Racy and I use it. I have my personal sewing 259 00:16:06,280 --> 00:16:08,800 Speaker 1: blog website there and I love it. It's super easy 260 00:16:08,840 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: to use. You can create your Squarespace website with a 261 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:15,400 Speaker 1: simple intuitive process. If I can figure it out without 262 00:16:15,480 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: much issue, I guarantee you can as well. 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Just and to the offer code history 288 00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:32,240 Speaker 1: to get ten percent off your first purchase. That is 289 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,600 Speaker 1: squares space dot com. Enter offer code history and you 290 00:17:35,600 --> 00:17:43,639 Speaker 1: will be able to set your website apart. We spoke 291 00:17:43,720 --> 00:17:46,800 Speaker 1: right before the break about two other conscientious objectors who 292 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: have also been awarded the Medal of Honor, and both 293 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:53,719 Speaker 1: of them received that honor for work as medics in Vietnam. 294 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:57,320 Speaker 1: The first was Thomas W. Bennett of Morgantown, West Virginia. 295 00:17:57,880 --> 00:18:00,920 Speaker 1: His military records didn't list it and on national preference, 296 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:04,280 Speaker 1: but sources suggest that he was raised either Methodist or 297 00:18:04,359 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: Southern Baptist. Regardless, he attended the services of multiple denominations, 298 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:12,040 Speaker 1: and he came to a sincerely held belief that all 299 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:15,800 Speaker 1: life was sacred. He also vehemently objected to the United 300 00:18:15,840 --> 00:18:21,640 Speaker 1: States involvement in the Vietnam War. Specifically, Bennett was drafted 301 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,199 Speaker 1: during that involvement in Vietnam, and after he lost his 302 00:18:25,280 --> 00:18:28,679 Speaker 1: student deferment due to poor grades at West Virginia University, 303 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 1: he wound up registering as a conscientious objector who was 304 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,800 Speaker 1: willing to serve in a non combat role. He became 305 00:18:34,840 --> 00:18:38,680 Speaker 1: a medic and was eventually deployed to Vietnam. On February 306 00:18:38,800 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: nine of nineteen sixty nine, his his platoon there was ambushed. 307 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,200 Speaker 1: In the words of his Medal of Honor citation quote, 308 00:18:45,520 --> 00:18:49,360 Speaker 1: Corporal Bennett, with complete disregard for his safety, ran through 309 00:18:49,359 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: the heavy fire to his fallen comrades, administered life saving 310 00:18:53,200 --> 00:18:56,439 Speaker 1: first aid under fire, and then made repeated trips carrying 311 00:18:56,480 --> 00:18:59,640 Speaker 1: the wounded men to positions of relative safety. From which 312 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:03,840 Speaker 1: they would be medically evacuated from the battle position. Corporal 313 00:19:03,840 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: Bennett repeatedly braved the intense enemy fire, moving across open 314 00:19:07,880 --> 00:19:11,560 Speaker 1: areas to give aid and comfort to his wounded comrades. 315 00:19:12,040 --> 00:19:15,520 Speaker 1: He valiantly exposed himself to the heavy fire in order 316 00:19:15,560 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 1: to retrieve the bodies of several fallen personnel. Then, as 317 00:19:20,840 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: the whole platoon was awaiting for helicopters to rescue the 318 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: injured men, he spent the night outside the safety of 319 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,959 Speaker 1: any kind of shelter, tending to wounded people who couldn't 320 00:19:29,960 --> 00:19:34,240 Speaker 1: be moved. On February eleven, a similar event happened again 321 00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: when the platoon came under sniper fire, and once again 322 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:40,600 Speaker 1: Bennett put himself at risk repeatedly to try to aid 323 00:19:40,640 --> 00:19:43,439 Speaker 1: the wounded, including an attempt to save a fellow soldier 324 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:47,120 Speaker 1: who had fallen ahead of the company's position. Even though 325 00:19:47,119 --> 00:19:49,679 Speaker 1: he was warned that the fallen soldier would be impossible 326 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:51,960 Speaker 1: to reach given where he was in the amount of 327 00:19:52,040 --> 00:19:55,719 Speaker 1: enemy fire, Bennett tried anyway, and he was mortally wounded 328 00:19:55,720 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: in the process. He was posthumously awarded the Medal of 329 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,040 Speaker 1: Honor on April seventh of nineteen seventy, which would have 330 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:06,280 Speaker 1: been his twenty third birthday. The third conscientious objector to 331 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:10,240 Speaker 1: be awarded the Medal of Honor was Specialist for Joseph G. Lapointe, Jr. 332 00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:13,919 Speaker 1: And there's not as much biographical information that's publicly available 333 00:20:13,920 --> 00:20:17,480 Speaker 1: on him. Army records, though, identified him as a Baptist. 334 00:20:18,119 --> 00:20:21,359 Speaker 1: On June two of nineteen sixty nine, the patrol he 335 00:20:21,440 --> 00:20:24,880 Speaker 1: was on fell under heavy enemy fire. He rendered aid 336 00:20:24,960 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: while under fire to two injured soldiers, and to do 337 00:20:27,880 --> 00:20:30,320 Speaker 1: so he had to crawl directly into the line of 338 00:20:30,359 --> 00:20:33,879 Speaker 1: sight of an enemy bunker. He resorted to shielding the 339 00:20:33,880 --> 00:20:36,400 Speaker 1: two fallen men with his own body, but all three 340 00:20:36,400 --> 00:20:40,359 Speaker 1: were killed by an enemy grenade. In addition to his 341 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:44,359 Speaker 1: Medal of Honor, Lapointe was also posthumously awarded the Silver Star. 342 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: He was survived by his wife, Cindy, and his son, 343 00:20:47,240 --> 00:20:51,040 Speaker 1: also named Joseph, who was unfortunately born after his father's death. 344 00:20:52,359 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: And that's a little bit about conscience objection and conscientious objectors. 345 00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:00,280 Speaker 1: Now that I'm all good and choked up, would you 346 00:21:00,320 --> 00:21:03,800 Speaker 1: like to read me solicitor mail? Sure? I do have 347 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:06,080 Speaker 1: some listener mail. And the actually this this listener mail 348 00:21:06,200 --> 00:21:10,080 Speaker 1: is pretty lighthearted h to bring us up from a 349 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,359 Speaker 1: lot of wartime death which I don't know. You and 350 00:21:13,400 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 1: I both have family members or in the service, and 351 00:21:16,280 --> 00:21:21,120 Speaker 1: some of that can be emotionally emotional. I'll just put 352 00:21:21,160 --> 00:21:25,680 Speaker 1: it that way. It can be emotional. So, uh, this 353 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:30,320 Speaker 1: is from Charlene. Charlene wrote to us about our Harriet 354 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:34,160 Speaker 1: Tubman episodes, and she says, I'm a student at Salisbury University, 355 00:21:34,200 --> 00:21:38,520 Speaker 1: which is located in Wacomico County, Maryland. Wacomico County borders 356 00:21:38,680 --> 00:21:42,119 Speaker 1: Tubman's native Dorchester County, and two thousand nine, s U 357 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: unmailed the statue of Tubman on campus that was sculpted 358 00:21:45,280 --> 00:21:47,640 Speaker 1: by one of our art professors, Dr James K. Hill. 359 00:21:48,080 --> 00:21:51,560 Speaker 1: The university's website describes it as follows quote. Hill sculpture 360 00:21:51,600 --> 00:21:55,399 Speaker 1: depicts Tubman walking through a Dorchester County marsh, looking behind 361 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: with her hand outstretched to those whom she is leading 362 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:01,120 Speaker 1: to freedom with her our two companion and a sawett 363 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,960 Speaker 1: owl and a rabbit looking ahead. According to Hill, they 364 00:22:05,040 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: symbolize two aspects of Tubman. One is a freedom fighter. 365 00:22:08,840 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: The wide eyed owl owl seeking slaves to liberate. The 366 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,679 Speaker 1: saw what owl lives in the swamps, of the mid 367 00:22:15,680 --> 00:22:19,159 Speaker 1: Atlantic seaboard, but migrates to Canada each year, just as 368 00:22:19,200 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: tub mended. The other is the rabbit, which traditionally represents vigilance, intuition, 369 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,800 Speaker 1: and forward progress. Despite fear, this burrowing animal goes underground, 370 00:22:27,880 --> 00:22:31,720 Speaker 1: symbolizing Tubman's role as a conductor the underground railroad. Hill's 371 00:22:31,800 --> 00:22:35,879 Speaker 1: rabbit is alert, just as Tubman was ever alert. I 372 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:39,280 Speaker 1: think that is also part of the quoted material. So, 373 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:43,040 Speaker 1: then Charlene continues, When I first saw the statue, I 374 00:22:43,080 --> 00:22:46,840 Speaker 1: had a different interpretation. Harriet is depicted with one arm outstretched, 375 00:22:46,880 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 1: her other hand holds her skirt. She's isn't wearing that 376 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: pair of bloomer pants. The rabbit is at her feet, 377 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,159 Speaker 1: and the owl is on her shoulder. Her mouth is 378 00:22:54,200 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: open as if she is calling to someone. I looked 379 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 1: at the statue, turned to my friend and said, her 380 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:02,040 Speaker 1: mouth is open like singing, and woodland animals have come 381 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:04,600 Speaker 1: to her. I had no idea that Harriet Tubban was 382 00:23:04,640 --> 00:23:11,480 Speaker 1: a disney princess. Uh. And then she said some links 383 00:23:11,520 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 1: of bigger pictures and more of of Dr Hill's work 384 00:23:14,359 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: and an article about the statue, and says, sincerely, Charlene Okay, 385 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,280 Speaker 1: so I want to stress this is a lovely statue. 386 00:23:21,359 --> 00:23:25,520 Speaker 1: I like it a lot. It does. It does indeed 387 00:23:25,720 --> 00:23:29,680 Speaker 1: have like a Disney princess quality, So now I kind 388 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:32,360 Speaker 1: of want maybe it would be more like rejected princesses. 389 00:23:33,160 --> 00:23:36,040 Speaker 1: I hope our listeners are all familiar with rejected princesses. 390 00:23:36,600 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: But yes, it does have a slightly Disney heroine about 391 00:23:41,320 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 1: to burst into song look about it. We will put 392 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: a link to it from the show notes. That would 393 00:23:45,359 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: be sort of a cool Disney movie, I think, well, 394 00:23:49,400 --> 00:23:56,280 Speaker 1: especially given given the slow progression of Disney's princess heroine's 395 00:23:57,960 --> 00:24:01,600 Speaker 1: over the last several years, I could see maybe not 396 00:24:01,680 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: specifically Harriet Tubman, but like I could see that being 397 00:24:05,440 --> 00:24:09,160 Speaker 1: a princess role anyway. If you would like to write 398 00:24:09,200 --> 00:24:11,440 Speaker 1: to us about this or any other podcast where History 399 00:24:11,440 --> 00:24:13,919 Speaker 1: podcasts at how stuff Works dot com. We're also on 400 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: Facebook at facebook dot com slash myst in history and 401 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,480 Speaker 1: on Twitter at miss in History. Our tumbler is miss 402 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:21,840 Speaker 1: Industry dot tumbler dot com. We're also on panterst at 403 00:24:21,840 --> 00:24:24,800 Speaker 1: pentrist dot com slash mist in history, and our instagram 404 00:24:24,880 --> 00:24:28,840 Speaker 1: is at missed in history. If you would like to come, 405 00:24:29,000 --> 00:24:30,360 Speaker 1: if you would like to learn more about what we've 406 00:24:30,359 --> 00:24:33,000 Speaker 1: talked about today. We can come to our parent company's website, 407 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:34,679 Speaker 1: which is how stuff Works dot com and put the 408 00:24:34,720 --> 00:24:37,200 Speaker 1: word draft in the search bar. You will learn about 409 00:24:37,200 --> 00:24:39,920 Speaker 1: how the US draft works, which includes some information about 410 00:24:39,920 --> 00:24:43,440 Speaker 1: conscious conscience objection and what people have to do in 411 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,320 Speaker 1: the United States to be registered as consciences conscientious objectors. 412 00:24:47,359 --> 00:24:49,479 Speaker 1: You don't just basically walk up and say I object 413 00:24:49,520 --> 00:24:51,480 Speaker 1: and then get exempt from everything. That's not how it works. 414 00:24:52,480 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: You can also come to our website, which is missed 415 00:24:54,520 --> 00:24:56,840 Speaker 1: in History dot com, and find show notes for all 416 00:24:56,880 --> 00:24:59,080 Speaker 1: the episodes Holly and I have ever done. We will 417 00:24:59,119 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: have the links to the thing about the Statue and 418 00:25:01,640 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: this one. Um. There's an archive of every episode we've 419 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:07,159 Speaker 1: ever done some other cool stuffs. You can do all 420 00:25:07,240 --> 00:25:09,480 Speaker 1: that and a whole lot more how stuff works dot 421 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:16,800 Speaker 1: com or missed in History dot com for more on 422 00:25:16,920 --> 00:25:19,399 Speaker 1: this and thousands of other topics. Does it how stuff 423 00:25:19,440 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: works dot com