U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner and Tim Kaine of Virginia celebrated yesterday unanimous U.S. Senate passage of their bill to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic after Private First Class Desmond T. Doss.
Doss is a highly revered Medal of Honor recipient from Lynchburg who saved dozens of lives in World War II.
“We’re very glad to see our legislation to rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic after Private First Class Desmond T. Doss, a brave Virginian who saved the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen, pass through the Senate unanimously,” the senators said. “This is a great step to honor the tremendous bravery, courage, and patriotism of Private First Class Doss, and we hope the House follows our lead and gets this across the finish line as soon as possible.”
Born in Lynchburg, Doss enlisted in the Army in April of 1942 after Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. As a Seventh-Day Adventist, Doss could have refused enlistment on grounds of being a conscientious objector. However, he enlisted as a self-described “conscientious cooperator” and pursued medical roles in the U.S. Army.
While serving with his platoon in 1944 in Guam and the Philippines, he was awarded two Bronze Star Medals for exceptional valor in aiding wounded soldiers under fire. During the Battle of Okinawa, he saved the lives of 75 wounded infantrymen atop the area known by the 96th Division as the Maeda Escarpment or Hacksaw Ridge – an act of heroism that earned him a Medal of Honor awarded by President Harry Truman. Doss was wounded four times in Okinawa, and was evacuated on May 21, 1945, aboard the USS Mercy and brought to Hawaii.
The legislation would rename the Lynchburg VA Clinic as the Private First Class Desmond T. Doss VA Clinic, and now awaits passage in the U.S. House of Representatives, where companion legislation was introduced by U.S. Rep. Bob Good of Virginia.
The legislative effort has the support of a number of veterans organizations and groups, including: the Lynchburg Area Veterans Council Inc.; Salem VA Medical Center; American Legion Post 16; Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 196; Military Order of the Purple Heart, Chapter 1607; Marine Corps League Detachment 759; Military Order of the World Wars, Piedmont Chapter; Veterans of Foreign Wars, Desmond T. Doss Post 12179; the National Center for Healthy Veterans, Valor Farm; and Monument Terrace Troop Rally.
Desmond T. Doss, Jr. also supports the bill, which is cosponsored by Sen. Katie Britt of Alabama.
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Rebecca Barnabi
