posted April 3, 2006
Approximately 500 people attended the graveside service for Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Desmond T. Doss on Monday morning at the Chattanooga National Cemetery.
Mr. Doss received full military honors with a flag draping the casket, a 21-one gun salute, a military helicopter flyover, and the playing of Taps.
Walter Joseph Marm, a Medal of Honor recipient from the Vietnam War, paid his respects at the graveside service. “I was a young second lieutenant when I met him 40 years ago, right after I had received my medal,” Mr. Marm recalled. “He was a tremendous role model and mentor for all the young medal of honor recipients from the Vietnam war…He was a legend in his own time and just a very devout Christian and a great mentor for the young folks of America. I think his story that he refused to bear arms and became a medic to serve his country is a tremendous testament to his life. He saved many, many lives. It’s just an honor for me to be here. I’m very humbled.”
The audience was welcomed to the service by Brigadier General Carl E. Levi, (Ret.), Hamilton County trustee and a friend of the Doss family. Commander Patti Parks, (Ret.), director of the Medal of Honor Museum and retired Navy Commander, shared some remarks about Mr. Doss, saying, “He remained true to his convictions, even when it wasn’t the most popular thing to do. He always kept God close, asking for guidance when times were hard and offering thanks when times were good.”
Elder Les Speer, Georgia-Cumberland Conference Trust Services representative and a friend of Desmond Doss, shared the homily entitled “Covered with Blood.” Elder Speer pointed out that Mr. Doss was one of America’s greatest heroes and one of God’s greatest heroes, saying, “Desmond’s story, I believe, is more than a story about Desmond. It is about a God who saves people.”
Elder Speer also shared some words that he believes Mr. Doss would have wanted to share. “…If we will allow our belief to be internalized and we will let God take full control of us…all of us can be great heroes for God.”
Desmond T. Doss passed away March 23. He was the only conscientious objector to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II and the only Seventh-day Adventist to receive the military’s highest honor for valor in combat. A viewing and funeral service were held at the Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church on April 1, which more than 1,600 people attended. In addition, more than 1,200 people watched a webcast of the funeral service at www.gccsda.com.
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