Based on an incredible true story of Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a congressional medal of honor recipient for his actions during the battle of Hacksaw Ridge in World War II, May 5th 1945
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A little bit of background on this hero before we start! Desmond Doss was born in Lynchburg Virginia on February 7th, 1919. He entered his military career April 1st, 1942. He was awarded 2 bronze stars for his service in battles in Guam and the Philippines. He was awarded the Medal of honor and the purple heart for his contributions to the battle of Okinawa, where "Hacksaw Ridge" happened.
During the Battle he saved the lives os 50-100 wounded infantrymen, and was also wounded from a snipers bullet that fractured his left arm, leaving 17 pieces of shrapnel embedded in his body.
Wow. how amazing is it that 73 years ago all of this happened, and im staring at a weapon that could of killed hundreds of people and a rusted helmet. If only i could feel what all of these men felt when they were tasked to climb that ridge.
When i looked at this picture my mind was absolutely BLOWN! The top picture was taken after the battle was won. Look at it. There isn't a living thing there! Burnt, barren wasteland where the only thing that was there was death. Everything looks so differently. The picture on the bottom is of present day.
There is a Huge rock that looks like it has been circled (it was because the woman showing us circled it) i believe the woman called Needle Nose. you can see it in the picture from 73 years ago, and you can still see the rock in the picture that was taken recently!
In this picture, you can see Pfc. Desmond Doss at the top of Hacksaw Ridge where he helped save 75 men in a 12 hour period. Can you believe how amazing that is? He is a true hero.
One last fix of the bikes before we head up to the historic battleground.
The top of the ridge where so much life was lost. Its absolutely insane that such a bloody fight was fought on a ridge top this small.
Named after Pfc. Doss where he hoisted down countless wounded soldiers and saved many lives!
Now of course you can barely see how steep it is, and there is a road right next to it leading to the cemetery. this is when it really hit me how many people have died there. The cemetery is built on the side of the ridge, with countless burials.
If you were to take them all away, the ridge would almost turn into a cliff! I cant even imagine.
The thought of how much life was lost was insane.
The amount of courage that Pfc. Doss must of had, the dedication and commitment he had to his company and his country.
Pfc. Doss died March 23, 2006 after being hospitalized for difficulty breathing. He was buried on April 3rd, in the National Cemetery in Chattanooga Tennessee. Pfc Doss is survived by his son Desmond "Tommy" Doss jr.
