Hacksaw Ridge - A story of courage in battle and a story of faith, integrity and the courage to live by one’s convictions...!!!

I would recommend you all to watch this movie, if you have not seen already. Below text is a mix of what I gathered from internet, which made me watching this movie and what I feel after watching the movie. And it was worth investing 2 hours watching this movie.

Finally got a chance to watch ‘Hacksaw Ridge’. Wow, what an incredible movie, perhaps one of the most powerful movies I’ve ever seen! The movie is Mel Gibson’s re-telling of the true story of Private Desmond T. Doss, an Army medic in WWII, who served during the Battle of Okinawa without carrying a rifle into battle. Doss is one of the greatest heroes in the American History who never fired a bullet. The title refers to a steep cliff face located on the island of Okinawa in Japan and as Captain Glover tells his unit, “Conquer Okinawa and you conquer Japan.” The Japanese counter-attack is so furious that the Americans must retreat down the rope netting. Doss stays behind, despite risking his own safety, refusing to abandon those who need him. Throughout the night, he manages to drag and carry the wounded back to the edge of the cliff lowering them one-by-one down to the medics below. By the end of the Battle of Okinawa, Doss had amazingly pulled 75 men from Hacksaw Ridge and because of his heroic efforts, became the first Conscientious Objector in American history to be awarded the Medal of Honor.

Hacksaw Ridge is a story of courage in battle and a story of faith, integrity and the courage to live by one’s convictions. Some lessons one can take away after watching, Hacksaw Ridge:

1)    Courage Is Contagious. You will be remembering a famous quote, “When a brave man takes a stand, the spines of others are often stiffened.” Doss’s courage and faith inspired others. Towards the end of the movie, a scene stamps an unforgettable  impression. The company has to return to the top of Hacksaw Ridge to make the final assault, and the Captain tells Doss that the men won’t go up without him. We then see the moving scene where the whole company paused for Doss to pray before heading up. They don’t necessarily believe what he believes but because he believes and they believe in him, his prayer matters. How powerful is that? Very very powerful…!!

2)    Find A Way To Forgive!. Intent on wanting to see Doss kicked out of the Army, Captain Glover later finds it in his heart to swallow his pride and ask for forgiveness after witnessing Doss’s incredible act of courage. “All I saw was a skinny kid. I didn’t know who you were. You’ve done more than any other man could’ve done in the service of his country. Now, I’ve never been more wrong about someone in my life, and I hope one day you can forgive me.”

3)    Have The Courage To Stand! Let your faith inspire others. We must somehow find the courage to stand our ground, stay true to what we believe. Doss couldn’t live with himself if he compromised on his beliefs, and likewise our faith should be so important to us that we too would rather suffer the anger of the world than give up on what we believe. Think about it, if Doss compromised his convictions and let his faith crumble, 75 men would not have made it off that cliff.

4)    The World Needs Authentic Leadership! Even though Doss didn’t believe in killing another person, he had a burning desire to enlist in the Army. He didn’t want to stay behind while others were sacrificing for him. Authentic leaders don’t run or stay behind when there’s evil or danger to confront…they run right at it to protect others. Doss said, “I’m prepared to give my life for my men.”

5)    Titles Are Not Important. I’m reminded of William Wallace’s quote in Braveheart, “Men don’t follow titles, they follow courage.” As Doss was preparing to face the battlefield, another medic encouraged him to lose the markings that designated him as a medic because the Japanese on Okinawa were specifically targeting medics. With that wisdom, Doss took off the white fabric identifying him as a medic and he also picked up a different helmet so the enemy wouldn’t know what he was. How many times do we struggle and fight for a title because we want recognition? Doss’s example shows us that we will better serve those we’re leading by stripping away our title and serving with them – side by side!

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Cheers