Editing John Rawls (section)

===Military service, 1943–46===
Rawls enlisted in the [[United States Army|U.S. Army]] in February 1943. During [[World War II]], Rawls served as an [[infantry]]man in the Pacific with the 128th Infantry Regiment of the [[32nd Infantry Division (United States)|32nd Infantry Division]], where he served a tour of duty in [[New Guinea]] and was awarded a [[Combat Infantryman Badge|Combat Infantryman Badge]] and [[Bronze Star Medal|Bronze Star]]; and the [[Philippines Campaign (1944–45)|Philippines]], where he endured intensive trench warfare and witnessed traumatizing scenes of violence and bloodshed.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2014-06-13 |title=Thinkers at War – John Rawls {{!}} Military History Matters |url=https://www.military-history.org/feature/thinkers-at-war-john-rawls.htm |access-date=2023-12-23 |website=Military History Matters |language=en-US |archive-date=December 23, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231223164023/https://www.military-history.org/feature/thinkers-at-war-john-rawls.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> It was there that he lost his Christian faith and became an atheist.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/john-rawls-theorist-modern-liberalism|title=John Rawls: Theorist of Modern Liberalism|publisher=[[The Heritage Foundation]]|date=August 13, 2014|access-date=February 26, 2017|archive-date=November 2, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191102090242/https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/john-rawls-theorist-modern-liberalism|url-status=unfit}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title=Church, State and Public Justice: Five Views|year=2009|publisher=InterVarsity Press|isbn=978-0830874743|page=34|author1=Ronald J. Sider |author2=Paul Charles Kemeny |author3=Derek H. Davis |author4=Clarke E. Cochran |author5=Corwin Smidt |quote=Religious beliefs, argues John Rawls—a Harvard philosopher and self-identifying atheist—can be so divisive in a pluralistic culture that they subvert the stability of a society.}}</ref>

Following the surrender of Japan, Rawls became part of [[General MacArthur]]'s occupying army<ref name="Freemanxix" /> and was promoted to sergeant. But he became disillusioned with the military when he saw the aftermath of the atomic blast in [[Hiroshima]]. Rawls then disobeyed an order to discipline a fellow soldier, "believing no punishment was justified," and was "demoted back to a [[private (rank)|private]]." Disenchanted, he left the military in January 1946.<ref name=":4" />