This young man was born to a large family in the Kentucky mountain country. His family was poor and hardworking. They lived a simple life, a self-sufficient life of subsistence farming and strong faith. His name was Alvin York, and he would later become one of the most famous and most decorated names to come out of WWI.
Alvin was brought up in a religious family, but he was a bit of a rebel in his teenage years, often sneaking up to the Ohio border to get some hooch and goofing off. But one thing he learned better than most was how to use a long rifle with superior accuracy. He would eventually make the internal commitment to his faith and would join the church.
When WWI broke out, Alvin, like all young men his age, was required to sign up for the draft. He tried to get registered as a conscientious objector but did not succeed and was subsequently drafted. He did get permission to go home briefly to pray about his role in the war, and he came to the conclusion that this is what God wanted of him.
Alvin went to Europe with the 82nd All-American Division and would end up in the Argonne Forest, where one of the bloodiest battles of the war would occur. It was there, at a place called Hill 223, that Sgt. York would become one of that war’s most famous heroes.
This video will give a full account of what he did in some detail, but here are a couple of the particulars. He had by this time selected his favorite weapons to work with: a model 1903 Springfield rifle and a Colt .45 pistol. On two occasions and because of the battlefield circumstances, including the loss of his unit’s commander, he would essentially take charge. He would lead his men in desperate efforts against larger advancing forces of Germans.
On both occasions, he took on brave tasks, essentially on his own, and both times he would come back with large numbers of German prisoners. The first time, he brought back 90 of them on his own. The second time, he would go up against a German machine gun nest. In the end, he would take 35 machine guns, kill 25 Germans, and come back with 132 prisoners.
After this occasion, an officer would say of him that he brought back the whole German Army. He responded with humble country wisdom and wit: “No. Only 132 of ’em.”
On July 2, 1941, a movie premiered that gave an account of Alvin’s adventures in WWI, called Sargeant York. This religious pacifist and farm kid from the mountains of Kentucky would be awarded, among many other awards, the nation’s highest award for valor, the Medal of Honor. After the war, he wrote an autobiographical account of his life that was published under the title Sergeant York: His Own Life Story and War Diary.
Enjoy this video and maybe even see if you can find the movie and watch it. Or get a copy of his book. His is a great American story.