Happy Birthday!!

[Jim Baker]

 

Corporal Alvin C. York of Wolf River Valley, Tennessee, was born on December 13, 1887. York was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor and the Distinguished Service Cross for heroism during World War I's Argonne Offensive. York was a reluctant soldier, but his frontier upbringing had made him an outstanding marksman. On October 8, 1918, York's platoon was advancing toward the Decauville railway when they were hit with machine-gun fire from all sides. The doughboys captured one gun, but the noise drew the fire of the remaining German emplacements, killing six and seriously wounding three Americans. As the most senior of the remaining doughboys, York went out alone to engage the enemy with just his rifle and service revolver, picking off the machine-gunners one by one. When the fighting was over, York had single-handedly eliminated 35 machine guns, killed more than 20 Germans and taken 132 members of a Prussian Guards regiment as prisoners. A modest man, York shrugged off his heroic actions, saying, "It's over; let's forget it."

[bfryar44]

Happy Birthday Sgt. York!

 

Here is a picture of Alvin York to the right during WW2 along with fellow Tennessee native and Medal of Honor recipient Paul Huff (holding Thompson SMG).

[Steindaddie]

Sgt York is proof that it's not the real hero who goes around telling his own story, the true hero is the one who's story is told by others.

 

Will

[ghost]

One true American. My favorite book; Sergeant York and his people by Sam K. Cowan.

In 92 I made a pilgrimage to see the York house and Grist mill in Pall Mall Tenn. (Way the heck off the beaten path!!)and to pay my respects at his grave site.

Well at the time the state of Tenn. was low on funds so the house was closed to the public but the grist mill was open I couldn't believe they let people walk around that thing, it was really in bad shape. Then the topper of all toppers, we got to the grave site and to my horror some chuckle head pried the picture of Sgt. York off of his headstone. A disappointing trip to say the least. I'm not sure of the present state of the York place but I wouldn't be surprised if it were in worse condition now.

Anybody been there lately?

 

Charlie