Desmond Doss, who died on March 23, 2006 at the age of 87, was a man whose conduct proved that his principled objection to violence against his fellow human beings was not based on fear, self-interest or self-preservation. He achieved conscientious objector status during World War II on the basis of his religion; he was a Seventh Day Adventist. But instead of accepting a deferment, Doss voluntarily joined the Army and was assigned to the 307th Infantry Division as a company medic. The other G.I.'s initially ridiculed Doss for his non-violent beliefs, but they were soon impressed by his evident fearlessness under fire and remarkable dedication to duty, never hesitating to go after a wounded soldier no matter what the personal risk. His most famous exploits occurred in the battle of Okinawa, where he ignored heavy enemy fire as he struggled to carry seventy-six wounded soldiers to safety, personally picking up each one and lowering them over the edge of a 400-foot cliff. He performed this astonishing feat in a span of twelve hours, never stopping until he had brought every wounded man to safety. For this Doss was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor, the only conscientious objector ever to achieve that honor during combat.

It is often impossible to tell whether those who oppose armed combat really object to the spilling of all human blood in battle, or only their own. With Desmond Doss, there was never any doubt. He didn't like the term "conscientious objector," preferring the term "conscientious cooperator." Though his religion demanded strict observance of the Sixth Commandment ("Thou Shalt Not Kill") and Doss believed that it was a sin to carry a gun or take human life, he believed in his country and its mission in the war. He did more than his fair share to help the Allies achieve victory and yet held fast to his principles. In the pantheon of Ethics Heroes, there are none more impressive than Desmond Doss.