August 11, 2025 • 10 mins
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sgt. Alvin York is one of the most celebrated American heroes of World War I. A deeply religious man and self-proclaimed pacifist, York initially sought exemption from military service. But on the battlefields of France, he performed a single act of bravery that made him a national legend. Historian Elliott Drago of the Jack Miller Center shares the remarkable true story of how a Tennessee farm boy became one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. military history.
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Speaker 1 (00:10):
And we continue with our American stories. The story of
Sergeant Alvin York is a celebrated chapter in American history.
Though he tried to avoid war for religious reasons, York
became one of the most notable heroes of World War
One for his actions in October of nineteen eighteen. Here
(00:30):
to tell the story is Elliot Drago. He is the
Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian. Take it away, Elliott.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Alvin's eyes scanned the valley. Everywhere he looked, young men
fell like the long grass before the mowing machine. Where's
the artillery? He won? Nearby? A panicked sergeant commanded his
men to outflank the machine gunners perched in the surrounding hills.
They could maybe, just maybe dislodge the Germans and take
(01:10):
the rail station. At the very least, they needed to
get out of the valley now. As if on cue,
the American artillery reigned hell fire down upon the valley,
creating havoc among both American and German soldiers. Sergeant Alvin C.
York and sixteen other soldiers sprang into action. The smoke
(01:31):
and brush obscured them as they flitted up and over
the hill. But greeted them on the other side seemed absurd.
Seventy German soldiers eating their breakfast, a mess of beef steaks, jellies, jams,
and loaf bread all around amidst the morning fog. Born
(01:53):
in the hills of Fentress County, Tennessee in eighteen eighty seven,
Alvin C. York's early life resembled that of other legendary
American frontiersman like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. He lived
in a log cabin and doored. An impoverished upbringing, possessed
little formal schooling, and spent countless hours exploring and hunting
in the forest and hills around his family's home. A gambling,
(02:14):
hard drinking pugilist as a young man, the death of
his best friend in a bar fight served as a
wake up call. York gave up the life of a
drunken fist fighting wastrel and converted to Christianity, becoming a
pacifist as well as one of his local church's elders,
even leading the choir with his molifluous voice. York's conversion
(02:34):
in Pacifism occurred just as war broke out in Europe
and a subsequent draft was stated in the United States.
York received his draft card in June nineteen seventeen. Next
to the question do you claim exemption from draft, he
wrote yes, don't want to fight. The army ignored York's
words and instructed him to report for basic training at
(02:56):
Camp Gordon, Georgia. There he became a walking to walking
paradox to his fellow soldiers. Despite his fondness for quoting
Bible verses and stubborn pacifism, he was the deadliest marksman
in camp, drawing from years of experience hunting and shooting
in Tennessee living. This paradox eventually brought York to a
(03:17):
breaking point, prompting a long debate with his commanding officer
over Christianity and war's fundamental dictum kill or be killed.
Luckily for York, his commanding officer granted him a short
leave to meditate on these thoughts and feelings. York retreated
to Tennessee, wandering for days through his childhood forest and experience.
In epiphany, God wanted him to fight for his country
(03:39):
to help rid the world of evil. Along with the
rest of the men in Company G of the three
hundred twenty eighth Infantry Regiment. Corporal York was sent to
the hellish front lines of Western Europe, mired in the
bloody muck of trench warfare for four years, at times
advancing barely a few hundred yards with each charge across
no man's land. Forces in Europe welcomed the arrival of
(04:02):
American troops in June nineteen seventeen. The Americans had fought
in Europe for roughly a year by the time York
and his company arrived, and it was clear the Allies
now carried the necessary momentum to launch a great offensive.
The nineteen eighteen Usargone Campaign, in which the Allies planned
to attack the heavily defended Germans positioned in the almost
impenetrable Argonne Forest, pushed them all the way back to
(04:24):
the Meuse River to cut off a crucial German railroad
junction and potentially collapse the entire German front. For a perspective,
the Allied forces sought to take territory in a matter
of weeks that they could not conquer in the previous
four years. Here on the front lines of the Musargon
campaign was the crack shot pacifist Alvin C. York he
(04:44):
and sixteen other soldiers, a hodgepodge of survivors from the
firefight in the valley, had stumbled upon the breakfasting Germans,
all of whom were unarmed save for their lieutenant. Knowing
they were outnumbered at least four to one and behind
enemy lines, the Americans screamed, put them up at the
enemy's soldiers. The Germans obeyed, as many believed the seventeen
(05:05):
Americans in front of them were merely the tip of
an Allied offensive. The two sides stared blankly at each
other until a few German machine gunners from a nearby
hill opened fire on the Americans, killing six and wounding three.
With the Americans distracted, the German lieutenant seized the opportunity
and blew his whistle. All the unarmed Germans hit the ground,
(05:25):
leaving the bewildered Americans standing alone. The lieutenant yelled to
the other German machine gunners on the hill, who cut
down all but three of the Americans. I was right
out there in the open, York later wrote. True to form,
he stood as ground and aimed his rifle at the
machine gunners, as he said, just like we often shoot
at the targets. And the shooting matches in the mountains
(05:47):
of Tennessee, and it was just about the same distance,
but the targets here were bigger. I just couldn't miss
a German's head or body at that distance, and I didn't. Besides,
it weren't no time to miss nohow every time I
had come up it down. York killed at least twenty
of the thirty machine gunners in that fashion, and then
shot and killed six more German soldiers who made the
(06:08):
mistake of charging him. The German lieutenant could not believe
his eyes. Speaking to York in English, he pleaded, if
you won't shoot anymore, I will make them give up.
He blew his whistle again, prompting the remaining gunners to
disarm and gather in front of York, who now found
himself in charge of over one hundred enemy prisoners. He
did not bask in any military Gusto or Marshall Bravado. Instead,
(06:32):
York felt a deep sense of responsibility and magnanimity toward
the prisoners. They came under every German and American shelling
as they approached the American lines, prompting York to order
the Germans to run as fast as they could. He
later explained how there is nothing to be gained by
having any more of them wounded or killed. They done
surrender to me and it was up to me to
look after them. Due to York's efforts, he safely led
(06:55):
one hundred and thirty two German prisoners to American lines.
A dumbfounded lutenant met him outside of the American command
post and asked, York, have you captured the whole German army?
I have a tolerable few, York replied. One might expect
a war hero to revel in their newfound celebrity upon
their return to the United States, to city streets festooned
(07:17):
with patriotic decor and broad metropolitan avenues alive with ticker
tate parades. York certainly felt honored by these festivities, but
even after receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, York remained
circumspect about his surging popularity. Always more comfortable surrounded by
the bucolic Tennessee Hills, he returned to his native state,
married his childhood sweetheart, and turned down lucrative offers from
(07:40):
vaudeville promoters, stage producers, and film directors. He refused to
exploit his fame for personal gain. However, York's experiences in
the First World War did change him. He saw the
violence and folly of modern industrial warfare firsthand and longed
to harness the positive aspects of an increasingly mechanized world.
(08:01):
His time at war inspired his life mission, raising money
to promote educational opportunities for the children of Tennessee. In
nineteen twenty six, York wrote, when I went out into
that big outside world, I realized how uneducated I was,
and what a terrible handicap it was. I was called
to lead my people toward a sensible modern education. Three
(08:23):
years later, he founded the Alvid and C. York Institute,
near his childhood home in Tennessee. This private school provided
free education for the children of Fentris County, many of
whom languished in poverty, and emphasized the teaching of agricultural
and industrial arts. Unfortunately, the precaritories of the Great Depression
disrupted the school's funding, forcing York to mortgage his farm
(08:44):
and take loans to keep the school operating. By nineteen
thirty seven, the dire straits of the school's finances led
to its takeover by the state of Tennessee and the
undeserved emotion of York as school administrator. Regardless of the
state's takeover of the school, York put his dreams into practice.
He never stopped fundraising to educate the youth of his
state and region. His deep sense of responsibility toward helping
(09:08):
those close to him and those who needed the most
help cemented his magnanimous legacy from American and German soldiers
to children from the Tennessee Hills. Decades after the war,
York was asked by a reporter, how do you want
to be remembered? Rather than focus on his wartime heroics,
he gave his characteristic, modest dancer for improving education in Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hangler, and a special thanks to
Elliot Drago. He's the Jack Millicenter's editorial officer and historian,
and the Jack Millicenter is a nationwide network of scholars
and teachers dedicated to educating the next generation about America's
founding principles and history, and we're proud to call them
(09:59):
partners here on our American Stories. To learn more, visit
Jack Millercenter dot org. And what a story you heard
about Sergeant Alvin York. Born in rural Tennessee, log cabin life,
little schooling, but one heck of a shot. Spent all
of his time outdoors, led the pugilistic and drinking life
(10:19):
until he didn't converting to Christianity, and then came that
moment where he had to ask himself what God required
of him as he went to serve his country, and ultimately,
my goodness, he became one of our great warriors. The
story of Sergeant Alvin York here on our American Stories
And we continue with our American stories. The story of
Sergeant Alvin York is a celebrated chapter in American history.
Though he tried to avoid war for religious reasons, York
became one of the most notable heroes of World War
One for his actions in October of nineteen eighteen. Here
(00:30):
to tell the story is Elliot Drago. He is the
Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian. Take it away, Elliott.
Speaker 2 (00:50):
Alvin's eyes scanned the valley. Everywhere he looked, young men
fell like the long grass before the mowing machine. Where's
the artillery? He won? Nearby? A panicked sergeant commanded his
men to outflank the machine gunners perched in the surrounding hills.
They could maybe, just maybe dislodge the Germans and take
(01:10):
the rail station. At the very least, they needed to
get out of the valley now. As if on cue,
the American artillery reigned hell fire down upon the valley,
creating havoc among both American and German soldiers. Sergeant Alvin C.
York and sixteen other soldiers sprang into action. The smoke
(01:31):
and brush obscured them as they flitted up and over
the hill. But greeted them on the other side seemed absurd.
Seventy German soldiers eating their breakfast, a mess of beef steaks, jellies, jams,
and loaf bread all around amidst the morning fog. Born
(01:53):
in the hills of Fentress County, Tennessee in eighteen eighty seven,
Alvin C. York's early life resembled that of other legendary
American frontiersman like Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett. He lived
in a log cabin and doored. An impoverished upbringing, possessed
little formal schooling, and spent countless hours exploring and hunting
in the forest and hills around his family's home. A gambling,
(02:14):
hard drinking pugilist as a young man, the death of
his best friend in a bar fight served as a
wake up call. York gave up the life of a
drunken fist fighting wastrel and converted to Christianity, becoming a
pacifist as well as one of his local church's elders,
even leading the choir with his molifluous voice. York's conversion
(02:34):
in Pacifism occurred just as war broke out in Europe
and a subsequent draft was stated in the United States.
York received his draft card in June nineteen seventeen. Next
to the question do you claim exemption from draft, he
wrote yes, don't want to fight. The army ignored York's
words and instructed him to report for basic training at
(02:56):
Camp Gordon, Georgia. There he became a walking to walking
paradox to his fellow soldiers. Despite his fondness for quoting
Bible verses and stubborn pacifism, he was the deadliest marksman
in camp, drawing from years of experience hunting and shooting
in Tennessee living. This paradox eventually brought York to a
(03:17):
breaking point, prompting a long debate with his commanding officer
over Christianity and war's fundamental dictum kill or be killed.
Luckily for York, his commanding officer granted him a short
leave to meditate on these thoughts and feelings. York retreated
to Tennessee, wandering for days through his childhood forest and experience.
In epiphany, God wanted him to fight for his country
(03:39):
to help rid the world of evil. Along with the
rest of the men in Company G of the three
hundred twenty eighth Infantry Regiment. Corporal York was sent to
the hellish front lines of Western Europe, mired in the
bloody muck of trench warfare for four years, at times
advancing barely a few hundred yards with each charge across
no man's land. Forces in Europe welcomed the arrival of
(04:02):
American troops in June nineteen seventeen. The Americans had fought
in Europe for roughly a year by the time York
and his company arrived, and it was clear the Allies
now carried the necessary momentum to launch a great offensive.
The nineteen eighteen Usargone Campaign, in which the Allies planned
to attack the heavily defended Germans positioned in the almost
impenetrable Argonne Forest, pushed them all the way back to
(04:24):
the Meuse River to cut off a crucial German railroad
junction and potentially collapse the entire German front. For a perspective,
the Allied forces sought to take territory in a matter
of weeks that they could not conquer in the previous
four years. Here on the front lines of the Musargon
campaign was the crack shot pacifist Alvin C. York he
(04:44):
and sixteen other soldiers, a hodgepodge of survivors from the
firefight in the valley, had stumbled upon the breakfasting Germans,
all of whom were unarmed save for their lieutenant. Knowing
they were outnumbered at least four to one and behind
enemy lines, the Americans screamed, put them up at the
enemy's soldiers. The Germans obeyed, as many believed the seventeen
(05:05):
Americans in front of them were merely the tip of
an Allied offensive. The two sides stared blankly at each
other until a few German machine gunners from a nearby
hill opened fire on the Americans, killing six and wounding three.
With the Americans distracted, the German lieutenant seized the opportunity
and blew his whistle. All the unarmed Germans hit the ground,
(05:25):
leaving the bewildered Americans standing alone. The lieutenant yelled to
the other German machine gunners on the hill, who cut
down all but three of the Americans. I was right
out there in the open, York later wrote. True to form,
he stood as ground and aimed his rifle at the
machine gunners, as he said, just like we often shoot
at the targets. And the shooting matches in the mountains
(05:47):
of Tennessee, and it was just about the same distance,
but the targets here were bigger. I just couldn't miss
a German's head or body at that distance, and I didn't. Besides,
it weren't no time to miss nohow every time I
had come up it down. York killed at least twenty
of the thirty machine gunners in that fashion, and then
shot and killed six more German soldiers who made the
(06:08):
mistake of charging him. The German lieutenant could not believe
his eyes. Speaking to York in English, he pleaded, if
you won't shoot anymore, I will make them give up.
He blew his whistle again, prompting the remaining gunners to
disarm and gather in front of York, who now found
himself in charge of over one hundred enemy prisoners. He
did not bask in any military Gusto or Marshall Bravado. Instead,
(06:32):
York felt a deep sense of responsibility and magnanimity toward
the prisoners. They came under every German and American shelling
as they approached the American lines, prompting York to order
the Germans to run as fast as they could. He
later explained how there is nothing to be gained by
having any more of them wounded or killed. They done
surrender to me and it was up to me to
look after them. Due to York's efforts, he safely led
(06:55):
one hundred and thirty two German prisoners to American lines.
A dumbfounded lutenant met him outside of the American command
post and asked, York, have you captured the whole German army?
I have a tolerable few, York replied. One might expect
a war hero to revel in their newfound celebrity upon
their return to the United States, to city streets festooned
(07:17):
with patriotic decor and broad metropolitan avenues alive with ticker
tate parades. York certainly felt honored by these festivities, but
even after receiving the Congressional Medal of Honor, York remained
circumspect about his surging popularity. Always more comfortable surrounded by
the bucolic Tennessee Hills, he returned to his native state,
married his childhood sweetheart, and turned down lucrative offers from
(07:40):
vaudeville promoters, stage producers, and film directors. He refused to
exploit his fame for personal gain. However, York's experiences in
the First World War did change him. He saw the
violence and folly of modern industrial warfare firsthand and longed
to harness the positive aspects of an increasingly mechanized world.
(08:01):
His time at war inspired his life mission, raising money
to promote educational opportunities for the children of Tennessee. In
nineteen twenty six, York wrote, when I went out into
that big outside world, I realized how uneducated I was,
and what a terrible handicap it was. I was called
to lead my people toward a sensible modern education. Three
(08:23):
years later, he founded the Alvid and C. York Institute,
near his childhood home in Tennessee. This private school provided
free education for the children of Fentris County, many of
whom languished in poverty, and emphasized the teaching of agricultural
and industrial arts. Unfortunately, the precaritories of the Great Depression
disrupted the school's funding, forcing York to mortgage his farm
(08:44):
and take loans to keep the school operating. By nineteen
thirty seven, the dire straits of the school's finances led
to its takeover by the state of Tennessee and the
undeserved emotion of York as school administrator. Regardless of the
state's takeover of the school, York put his dreams into practice.
He never stopped fundraising to educate the youth of his
state and region. His deep sense of responsibility toward helping
(09:08):
those close to him and those who needed the most
help cemented his magnanimous legacy from American and German soldiers
to children from the Tennessee Hills. Decades after the war,
York was asked by a reporter, how do you want
to be remembered? Rather than focus on his wartime heroics,
he gave his characteristic, modest dancer for improving education in Tennessee.
Speaker 1 (09:37):
And a terrific job on the production, editing and storytelling
by our own Greg Hangler, and a special thanks to
Elliot Drago. He's the Jack Millicenter's editorial officer and historian,
and the Jack Millicenter is a nationwide network of scholars
and teachers dedicated to educating the next generation about America's
founding principles and history, and we're proud to call them
(09:59):
partners here on our American Stories. To learn more, visit
Jack Millercenter dot org. And what a story you heard
about Sergeant Alvin York. Born in rural Tennessee, log cabin life,
little schooling, but one heck of a shot. Spent all
of his time outdoors, led the pugilistic and drinking life
(10:19):
until he didn't converting to Christianity, and then came that
moment where he had to ask himself what God required
of him as he went to serve his country, and ultimately,
my goodness, he became one of our great warriors. The
story of Sergeant Alvin York here on our American Stories
Host
Lee Habeeb
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