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Beginnings
Desmond and his brother Hal and playfully fighting outside their home. While fighting Desmond hits Hal over the head with a brick, knocking him out. His parents go to help Hal but Desmond is overcome with remorse thinking he just killed his brother. He heads over to the commandments that hang in the house, his family were big Seventh Day Adventists. He reads the commandment "thou shall not kill", and feels intense guilt. Although Hal recovers this haunts Desmond -
The start of helping people
15 years later, and Desmond is working in a church while a choir that included his mother practiced singing. It gets interrupted by someone screaming nearby, Desmond looks out the window and sees someone under a car yelling. Once getting outside he sees that the car has punctured an artery in the boys leg, he stops the bleeding by using his belt as a tourniquet. He accompanies the boy to the hospital -
Dorothy
After making sure the boy was okay, Desmond meets a nurse named Dorothy Shutte at the hospital. She tells Desmond that his quick thinking might have saved that boys leg. He finds out she is working the blood drive, and offers to give some blood so he can keep talking to her. The next day, Desmond takes Dorothy to the movies on a date which end with her slapping Desmond for kissing her without asking. -
Hal Enlists
Upon arriving at home after his date, it's found out that his brother Hal has enlisted to fight in WW2. His parents try and talk him out of it but he said he's doing the right thing. His dad gets emotional remembering losing his friends in WW1 because he doesn't want the same to happen to his son, he tells him to leave his sight. -
Desmond's Decision
Desmond takes Dorothy on a hike, she let's Desmond kiss her when they get to the top and they quickly fall in love. They start to spend a lot of time together and she even teaches him a bit about medicine. When dropping her off at work, Desmond informs Dorothy that he enlisted to fight in the army. She becomes upset and asks Desmond if he was ever going to propose to her, to which he does on the spot and she says yes. -
Training Camp
Desmond says goodbye to Dorothy and his family. He arrives at the barracks and meets his fellow squad mates. Commanding Officer Sergeant Howell, shows up for an inspection and assigns each man a nickname that they will now be called by. The inspection is complete and Howell orders the men to the training grounds. Doss makes good time on the obstacle course and impresses Howell, but once they get to rifle training things go bad. -
"I want to be a medic"
At rifle training Desmond states that he doesn't want to carry a rifle, he just wants to be a medic. He also wishes to not to train on Saturdays as that is his Sabbath, these things Anger Howell and he marches Doss to Captain Jack Glover who orders Doss to to follow all orders he's given on the field. -
"A unit is no better than it's weakest member"
He attempts to have Desmond discharged, but it doesn't work because his beliefs aren't a mental illness. Howell decides to turn his squad mates against him, which makes his life a living hell. They pick on him and one night, men in his squad beat Desmond in his bed. Howell sees how bruised Doss is and asks who beat him, he said he fell out of his and continues on with his training not leaving the army. https://youtu.be/bdiRea31YV0 -
Incarceration
Desmond and Dorothy's wedding day arrives, the squad is to be released on Furlough but Desmond isn't allowed release because he never did rifle training. He stands his ground saying he won't do it, which leads to him being detained and put in a jail cell for insubordination. Dorothy visits him and asks if he's mistaking his own will for gods. -
Trial
Doss is then put on trial, Desmond's father put on his old uniform and talks to his former captain who is now a general about Doss's situation. He then arrives at the trial and delivers a letter from the general which states that Desmond's right to follow his beliefs are protected by the constitution. Desmond is then released and granted a pass, he immediately marries Dorothy. -
Hacksaw
Desmond rejoins his squad and they head towards the battle of Okinawa. As they near the battlefield, they pass a convoy of badly wounded soldiers coming from where they're going. They arrive at the base of the Japanese stronghold, also known as Hacksaw Ridge. They climb to the top and move forward quietly over a valley of dead, when all of a sudden the Japanese start to fire and the bloody battle begins for his squad. Countless men are killed, with Desmond trying to save everyone he could. -
The Vow
While in a foxhole with Smitty Riker, Smitty tells Desmond he's sorry for the way he treated him when they first met. Doss then tells Smitty of how his father was abusing his mother and he stepped in, wrestling his dads gun away from him and pointing it at him. His mother eventually told him off, he talks about how he was so close to killing him. Since then he vowed to never touch a gun again. -
"Lord, please help me get one more
The Japanese launch a heavy assult and forces the American squads to retreat down the cliff again. Desmond tries to save who he can, but couldn't save Smitty as he dies in front of him. As everyone goes down, Desmond stays up to rescue wounded soldiers from the Japanese. Desmond rigs a pulley system to lower the wounded to the bottom. The men at the bottom can't believe that someone is still up there, let alone able to lower down men from the top. He finds Howell and brings him back to base -
Miracle
Glover apologizes to Doss for doubting him. He tells Doss the next attack falls on his Sabbath, they won't go without him because they see him as a miracle and they need that miracle. After praying for the men, Doss joins them. They storm the battle ground. A group of Japanese soldiers fake surrender and throw grenades at the men, Doss kicks them away but is hurt from the blast. After being carried to safety he is told that he is going home, he asks for his bible and is flown away for treatment.
