The Warrior who brings the others back home

The history of Lynchburg, Virginia is rich with military and martial arts his-
tory. Desmond Doss and David Rubinberg have stood out as exemplary para-
gons of bravery and combative expertise, each in their own way, but with simi-
larities as well.
The Roman General, Heraclitus once said of soldiers:
“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just
targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they
make the battle. Ah, but the one… one is a warrior, and he will bring the
others back.”
 Desmond Doss was one such warrior,
despite the fact that he refused to shoot
or even hold a rifle. A self-proclaimed
“conscientious cooperator” (in contrast
with the “conscientious objector” of
World War II), he was a warrior who recei-
ved substantial abuse during his basic
training for his religious beliefs. Refusing
to carry a firearm during bootcamp, he
was called a coward, physically abused
and even had his life threatened by his
own fellow combatants. Despite this and
despite the attempts his superiors made
to discharge him from the service, he
refused to leave and in lieu of being a
combat infantryman, he opted for a posi-
tion as a combat medic.
Once he landed in Guam in July 1944,
his co-combatants that had previously
threatened his life soon learned of his
valor. Doss consistently and fearlessly
ran into the field when others took cover,
rescuing numerous wounded comba-
tants and treating their wounds on the
spot or bringing them back to safety.
Again, at Leyte in the Philippines, Doss
continued braving bullets and mortar
shells, saving more lives and receiving
two Bronze Starts for his valor for both
Guam and Leyte.
 The battle-tested combat medic
faced his greatest crucible during
the Battle of Okinawa, high atop
the Maeda Escarpment, also
known as Hacksaw Ridge. Prior to
his arrival in Okinawa, the 96th
Infantry Division captured the
ridge, having suffered heavy los-
ses in the process. The 77th
Infantry Division, to which Doss
was assigned, was tasked with
relieving the forces there. From
May 2nd until May 5th, 1945 Doss
and his Division were subjected to
some of the most brutal offensives
from the Japanese. The machine
gun fire was so intense that one
soldier was decapitated from the
rain of bullets. Wave after wave of
enemy attacks made the position
untenable and the order was given
to evacuate the Maeda
Escarpment. While the majority of
troops evacuated, Doss refused to leave the wounded and continued to
provide succor and support the evacuation of others. Doss himself was
wounded twice, once shot in the arm by a sniper and his body riddled
with 17 pieces of shrapnel when a grenade exploded near him. Despite
his own wounds, he stayed by his troops until he was finally evacuated
on May 21st.
 Exactly 50 years after Desmond Doss was born, in the year
1969, David Rubinberg moved to Lynchburg, Virginia to study
at Lynchburg College. David had a long history of training by
that time, having studied boxing from the age of 10 in a Jewish
community in New York City and a few years later he studied
Judo and Karate. David continued his martial arts studies while
at college at the age of 18, earning his brown belt in Judo and
Karate which was soon followed by his black belts in both
styles at the age of 20. Sensei Rubinberg continued his study
of Karate with Sensei Bob Williams while studying at Lynchburg
College and in turn, trained Sensei Williams in Judo. David never
missed an opportunity to train, and shortly after, at the age of 23,
he received his second degree blackbelt in Judo. When his son,
Bruce, turned 5 years old, David found a school in Lynchburg, VA
and became a co-instructor, allowing him to continue his studies
as well as pass on the legacy of his training.
 From 1991 to 1999, David continued to develop his skills, obtaining his 5th degree blackbelt in Karate under Grand
Master Charles Carey, the school’s owner. In 1997 Master David Rubinberg was inducted into the Blue Ridge Hall of Fame.
In 2009 David obtained the rank of 8th degree blackbelt and named as the Grand Master Carey’s successor and later in
2019, was awarded 8th degree blackbelt in Kapap Krav Maga under Grand Master Avi Nardia. David continued to pass
his legacy and knowledge on in the Lynchburg community and to his son who is now the owner of his own school – FEKS
Martial Arts Center.
Having grown up in the Jewish community with the memory of the Holocaust still fresh in the minds of his aunts, uncles
and close family members, David Rubinberg was taught from a young age that he needed to study, train and prepare to
fight. The thought was always that he and his family would return to Israel and needed to be prepared to serve the country.
As such, humility was also engrained from an early age, the idea that he shouldn’t talk about or demonstrate his martial
arts skills unless absolutely necessary. To this day, Master Bruce Rubinberg continues his family tradition in Lynchburg,
training and preparing the next generation to not become victims and to stand up for what is right.
The legacy of valor and standing up to the face of evil continues in the Lynchburg community to this day. From Desmond
Doss’ extraordinary valor to the legacy of David Rubinberg and the lives he has impacted which continues through his son,
Lynchburg has a long martial and military tradition. These role models stand as exemplars for all martial artists to be the
one that brings the others home. Whether it’s continuing to press forward despite the opposition or it’s training up the next
generation to not forget the atrocities of the former, we are all called to this standard to press forward and support our
community and our country.