By: HISTORY.com Editors

1945

Conscientious objector awarded Medal of Honor

HISTORY.com Editors

Published: February 09, 2010

Last Updated: May 27, 2025

Private First Class Desmond T. Doss of Lynchburg, Virginia, is presented the Medal of Honor for outstanding bravery as a combat medic, the first conscientious objector in American history to receive the nation’s highest military award.

When called on by his country to fight in World War II, Doss, a dedicated pacifist, registered as a conscientious objector. Eventually sent to the Pacific theater of war as a medical corpsman, Doss voluntarily put his life in the utmost peril during the bloody Battle for Okinawa, saving dozens of lives well beyond the call of duty.

History Shorts: Medal of Honor

Mary Edwards Walker was the first woman to receive the Medal of Honor, but her fight for recognition extended well beyond the war.

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Citation Information

Article title: Conscientious objector awarded Medal of Honor
Author: HISTORY.com Editors
Website Name: History
URL: https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/october-12/conscientious-objector-awarded-medal-of-honor

Date Accessed: August 01, 2025
Publisher: A&E Television Networks
Last Updated: May 27, 2025
Original Published Date: February 09, 2010

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