Doss was assigned to the 2nd Platoon, Company B, 1st Battalion, 307th Infantry Regiment — one of the division’s three infantry regiments. His role was that of a combat medic. He carried medical supplies rather than a weapon, wore a white band with a red cross, and was responsible for treating wounded soldiers under fire.
The 77th Division’s Pacific campaigns would take it to some of the most difficult terrain and fighting of the war. By the time it reached Okinawa, Doss had already served in two major combat operations and had been recognized for his actions under fire.
## Guam and Leyte
The 77th Division participated in the recapture of Guam from Japanese forces in 1944. The Battle of Guam, which ran from late July through early August 1944, was fought across difficult jungle terrain against determined Japanese defenders. Doss’s role as a combat medic put him in the same fire zones as the infantry — the medics moved toward the wounded regardless of what was happening around them.
He earned his first Bronze Star with a “V” device for valor during this period, for treating wounded soldiers under enemy fire. The Bronze Star with “V” is specifically awarded for valor in direct combat — it requires more than general military service.
Later in 1944, the 77th Division participated in the fighting on Leyte in the Philippines, part of the American return to the Philippine Islands. The Leyte campaign was brutal. Doss served in the same capacity he had served on Guam — moving toward the wounded in conditions where moving in any direction was dangerous.