On October 12, 1945, the first conscientious objector in American history received the Congressional Medal of Honor. Private First Class Desmond T. Doss of Lynchburg, Virginia, was a pacifist who agreed to serve in the military as a medic. He and his unit were sent to the Pacific theater where Doss saved dozens of lives in the battle of Okinawa. All agreed that he had gone above and beyond to help those who needed him.
