He did not lose anyone on the descent. The record does not document a patient who was dropped, or a rope that failed, or a litter that came apart on the way down. Whatever improvisation he had assembled held through all of the lowerings he performed.
The prayer that accounts attribute to him during this period — ‘Lord, help me get one more’ — is significant not primarily as a religious expression but as a description of the mental framework he was using. He was not thinking about the total count; he was thinking about the next man. Each man was the one more he was asking to get. This framework — one at a time, one more — is consistent with what is known about how people sustain effective action under conditions that would otherwise be paralyzing.
Whether or not one understands the prayer as answered, the mental discipline it reflects is real. The ability to continue working in incremental units rather than being overwhelmed by the scale of the task is a documented feature of effective performance under crisis conditions. Doss arrived at this approach through his faith; the practical effect was the same regardless of the theological interpretation.
## Harold, the USS Lindsey, and the Family at War
Desmond Doss was not the only member of his family in uniform during World War II. His younger brother Harold also served, assigned to a Navy ship, the USS Lindsey.
The USS Lindsey (DM-32) was a destroyer minelayer, one of the specialized vessels that supported amphibious operations by laying and sweeping mines. On April 12, 1945 — while Desmond was already on Okinawa, participating in the opening phase of the battle — the Lindsey was struck by two kamikaze aircraft off the coast of Okinawa. The attack killed 57 members of the ship’s crew and wounded another 119. The ship was severely damaged.