LYNCHBURG, Va. (WDBJ) – A crowd gathered outside a small house in Lynchburg Monday morning.
But one man in the crowd saw Monday a little differently from the rest.
“This is incredible. This is simply incredible,” said Desmond Doss, Jr.
Doss is the son of World War II medic Desmond T. Doss, the man credited for saving the lives of 75 other men at the Battle of Okinawa.
“Today, right now, is the 75th anniversary of the day my father was awarded the Medal of Honor. I am quite sure that the day he was born here he had no idea what was in store,” said Doss.
What was in store was a dedication in his honor.
A new plaque cementing his legacy was unveiled Monday.
It will stay at Doss’ childhood home in Lynchburg, which now serves former homeless veterans.
“To have the house to be used for veterans that were experiencing homelessness is what it’s all about,” said Tom Current, Lynchburg Area Veterans Council president.
Doss says the home serving that purpose continues his father’s character.
He says it will give folks a chance to heal, something his father did for others time and time again.
“Sometimes you just need to rest and kind of regroup and start over so I hope this, you know, for a homeless veteran, is an opportunity to do exactly that,” said Doss.
But between the anthem, the invocation and the speeches, Doss says we all have a part to play in helping each other.
“I hope we can do that as we go about our daily lives. How many people can we touch? Can we be a healer?” asked Doss.
