July 7, 1944
Saipan Island, a fierce battleground of World War II.
An American dentist, who wasn't even supposed to be fighting, picked up a machine gun that day and became the last line of defense for hundreds of wounded soldiers.
His name was Captain Benjamin Lewis Solomon,a quiet-mannered dentist from Milwaukee… whose job was to fix people's teeth, alleviate pain, and save lives.
But the war had brought him to a place where even doctors had no choice but to pick up a gun.
When Death Came to the Hospital Door
In 1944, Solomon was the field dentist for the 105th Infantry. He was treating wounded soldiers in a canvas tent just behind the front lines.
Then suddenly the ground shook. Screams erupted.
And within seconds, a massive banzai charge of thousands of Japanese soldiers broke through the American lines and advanced towards the hospital.
It was the largest suicide attack of World War II.
The Japanese soldiers stormed into the tent and began killing the helpless wounded. Doctors and medics froze in terror. The patients cried out.
The Geneva Convention was torn to shreds that day.
But Solomon didn't back down.
He killed the first attacker with his bare hands.
Then he picked up a wounded soldier's rifle and took down the next enemy.
But the enemies numbered in the hundreds.
He immediately realized:"If someone doesn't stop them… every wounded soldier in this hospital will be killed."
He said only one thing to his staff:"Get everyone out. Now."
And then he went outside—no longer a dentist,but a shield for those wounded men.
The Last Stand
Solomon took up a machine gun position a few meters from the hospital.
The attack crashed down upon him like a storm.
The jungle filled with screams.
The earth trembled.
Solomon opened fire.
One wave fell. Then another. Then a third.
And still, the attack showed no sign of stopping.
He kept taking bullets.
He was repeatedly stabbed with bayonets.
But he didn't let go of the trigger.
He fought standing.
After falling, he fought on his knees.
Finally, he continued holding the gun even while sitting...
And that's where he died, fighting.
Hours later, when American soldiers reached the spot, they saw:
Solomon was slumped over the machine gun,his fingers still gripping the trigger.
His body had 76 wounds.
24 bullet wounds.
More than 20 bayonet wounds.
He must have pulled out some of the bayonets himself and continued fighting.
In front of him lay the bodies of 98 Japanese soldiers —killed by a single man.
Behind him, the hospital was empty.
Every wounded soldier had been saved.
No one had been left behind.
America initially refused to honor him.
Solomon was immediately nominated for the Medal of Honor.
But the army rejected it.
The reason given was:
• Medics and dentists shouldn't fight.
• If they are given this honor, then medical personnel might take up arms in the future.
In other words, bureaucratic rules were given precedence over bravery.
And these rules kept his bravery hidden for 58 years.
Justice was delayed, but it was served.
In the 1990s, a military dentist, Dr. Robert West, heard this story and said:"Such a great sacrifice should not be buried in paperwork."
He found witnesses, unearthed documents, and after years of hard work, reopened the case.
Finally, in 2002,
President George W. Bush approved the awarding of the Medal of Honor to Solomon.
The honor was given to his family.
Solomon had already passed away by then.
His story leaves us with a question.
Solomon was only 33 years old.
He never got to see his home, his future, his family... But he picked up the machine gun.
Because if he hadn't stood his ground, his wounded patients would have been slaughtered in their beds.
He broke the rules because humanity was more important.
That day, he became a wall.
A shield.
A man who gave his life to give others a second chance.
Read more : - A Soldier's Promise
.jpeg)
0 Comments