Alvin Cullum York... The Immortal Sergeant

Along with Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, Sgt. Alvin C. York is the most remembered Medal of Honor Recipient of World War I for his exploits in France.

York, then a corporal and an expert marksman, was cited for taking out 35 enemy machine-guns, killing 25 German troops with a Springfield rifle and a .45-caliber pistol, and capturing 132 more with the help of seven other surviving U.S. soldiers (nine in his unit had been killed earlier by machine-gun fire).

Only two of the seven other survivors were acknowledged for their participation in the event; Sgt. Bernard Early and Cpl. William Cutting were finally awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1927.

Characteristically, York downplayed his heroics with "So we had a hard battle for a little while."

For almost 90 years the exact location of this fierce firefight remained lost to history but now it may have been pinpointed by researchers.

The smoking gun may be these .45 caliber pistol slugs which may well have been fired by York during his Medal of Honor action. Army records indicate that York had fired at least 21 .45-caliber rounds with the semi-automatic Colt in his Oct. 8, 1918, assault on the German positions.

Ironically, a second group of York researchers, The Sergeant York Discovery Expedition, has found an even larger batch of .45 cartridges and German machine-gun casings at a different location. 

York's exploits, much like those of Lt. Audie Murphy a generation and a world war later, became a fixture in American popular culture due to part a motion picture made of his battlefield heroism.

Murphy even starred in his film "The Hell and Back" while York was portrayed by Gary Cooper in "Sgt. York."

Part pacifist, part warrior and part conflicted Christian, York embodied the isolationist drift, the yin and yang of the American people between the two great wars. At different points in his life, York (who only wanted to bring higher education to his beloved Tennessee hill country) came to question the country's entry into WW I and opposed the growing possibility of U.S. troops participating in another "European war".

By the time "Sgt. York" was released in six months before Pearl Harbor, Alvin York's ambivalence about WWII had ended in dramatic fashion... he was appointed to head his local draft board.. the one that had inducted him  (at age 30) in 1917.

At the request of Gen. George C. Marshall he toured Army bases and headed war bond tours. He even tried to re-enlisted in the infantry but was turned down due to his age.

York (shown above with a grandchild) paid off his debts and directed that most of his compensation from "Sgt. York" go to the construction of a Bible school in his hometown... almost $40,000--a princely sum in those days. Ironically, the school closed after only two years... the young people in the area having entered the military or left the hills and valleys to work in defense plants.

Because of a large family, poor investments and an inability to manage his money (giving way large sums), York was hounded by the IRS which charged him with tax evasion on money from the movie. This went on for 10 years despite the fact that York was disabled by a series of strokes which blinded him and left him in chronic pain.

Finally, House Speaker Sam Rayburn set up the a public fund which eventually paid off the debt in 1961; President Kennedy blasted the IRS (which with fines and penalties was seeking $172,000 after disallowing his donation as charitable) as a "national disgrace" for its actions.

Some things never change.

Alvin C. York succumbed to the effects of the strokes in 1964 when the nation was on the verge of another large-scale war. He died most proud of his efforts to improve education and the quality of life of rural Tennessee, and the school that bore his name.

Perhaps the old sergeant gets the last word after all... his wartime diary can be accessed here.

Comments

[Murat]

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[Gullermo]

I know your last commenter, Linda, she's a great freind to me and I know she's in a unique position since her dh is a band commander and they have a different protocal you could say. Where I live (where Linda used to live) is a very unique post. It's small and not being freinds with someone because of their husband's rank, doesn't happen much here! I have to say going through deployments, I've found the best support from my co-Army wives than family. When it comes to family and non-military freinds, they're great at saying "I'll/we'll support you" but the reality is, they just don't get it and can't...other spouses do and can support you in such a better way. IME!

[Jon]

I can’t agree with your sale to Pakistan and as such I tender my reotgnaiisn then go to the media and tell your story he comes out putting honor before pocketbook.Yeah, right, jackass. Question the honor of a Medal of Honor winner, while going off half-cocked and quarter-brained yourself.In the suit, Sgt. Meyer said that after he voiced his criticism, Mr. McCreight began berating and belittling him. The supervisor criticized Sgt. Meyer for making a trip with their BAE division president and made sarcastic remarks about Sgt. Meyer's nomination for the Medal of Honor, allegedly ridiculing his pending star status, the suit says.At the end of May, Sgt. Meyer's complaint said, he resigned from BAE over the proposed sale to Pakistan and attempted to get his old job back at Ausgar. In the suit, Sgt. Meyer said he was told that that company wanted to hire him back as did the Defense Department program officer who approves hiring for the optics program.About the same time, Mr. McCreight contacted a Defense Department program manager and said that Sgt. Meyer was mentally unstable and had a problem related to drinking in a social setting, the lawsuit alleges.I hope he wins, big time.Fucking Brit assholes.

[HENRI']

It seems that American Army Colonel found the right battles site using good old Yankee ingenuity.
I guess the college Professor thought all the tecnological machines would lead him to it. I holidayed 3 days there after the ceremony (missed because of work) and do not see how the Professor could be all so wrong. The American Colonel location and trail explaines it beautifully.It matches the writings on this fight perfect. Five of my countrymen who I did not know, were there at the present time as myself, and all as well agreed. The townscitizens thinks the other team (professor) did not search well because they were cold and wet. Much worrying about weather and little about searching. Please visit this battle place if you can. It is a sad and silent place in the forest. Many years later you can tell men suffered here. God bless all who met their end here.

[marshall f richards]

....so many questions. why is sgt. b. early of new haven (actually Hamden) ct. not mentioned more. why did it take nine years for sgt. early to be awarded a medal? i have heard many conflicting accounts on the "after battle reports"....or lack there of regarding this matter. please, i am not writing to take anything away from sgt york...but history can be changed--or--corrected. it is the right thing to do. sgt early is someone i want to know more about. i think he has earned that right.
respectfully,
...and God Speed,
marshall

[Kory]

Hello, I just wanted to make a comment that the first group did not find any .45 caliber shells. What they found was only 30.06 rifle casing US fire and unfired, some German machine gun rounds and some French light machine gun rounds. This was not proof of the York Spot because of the lack of the .45s and other important evidence which supports the story.

[bigwhitehat]

Outstanding.