On this Date in 1945: Lynchburg's Desmond T. Ross Got the Medal of Honor
This is a from a post I could not help to share with you. Its from the Jawa Report, and recognizes the service of one Lynchburg man on today's date, Oct. 12, 1945.
"In 1945 a conscientious objector wins US Medal of Honor. Private First Class Desmond T. Ross, of Lynchburg, Virginia, is presented the Congressional Medal of Honor for outstanding bravery as a medical corpsman, the first conscientious objector in American history to receive the nation's highest civilian award. When called on by his country to fight in World War II, Ross, a dedicated pacifist, registered as a conscientious objector. Eventually sent to the Pacific theater of war as a medical corpsman, Ross voluntarily put his life in the utmost peril during the bloody battle for Okinawa, saving dozens of lives well beyond the call of duty. "
posted by B O B @ 7:57 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I'm confused as to whether Ross was considered to be a civilian or active duty military as a result of his being a conscientious objector. Your article states that he received the highest civilian award, The Congressional Medal of Honor.
I just typed my comment and it got sent to the side of page!
The Congressional Medal of Honor is awarded only to military personnel. He was an active duty soldier when he earned the Medal of Honor.
Hmmm, he was a Private First Class which means he was a Marine. Medical Corpsman from the Navy handle all USMC medical issues. Have to do some more research on this, as this article does not add up.
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