On this episode of Our American Stories, the story of Sgt. 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 I. Here to tell the story is the Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian, Elliott Drago.
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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 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 the
(01:11):
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
(01:54):
in the hills of Fentress County, Tennessee in eighteen eighty seven,
Alvin C. York's early life resembled that of other legendary
as 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.
(02:14):
A gambling, 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 mollifluous voice.
York's conversion in Pacifism occurred just as war broke out
(02:37):
in Europe, and a subsequent draft was in 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 Camp Gordon, Georgia. There he became a walking,
(03:00):
talking 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 breaking point, prompting a long debate with his commanding
officer over Christianity and war's fundamental dictum kill or be killed.
(03:25):
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 an epiphany. God wanted him to fight for his
country 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
(03:49):
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 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
(04:10):
Allies now carried the necessary momentum to launch a great offensive.
The nineteen eighteen Musargone 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
the Meuse River to cut off a crucial German railroad
junction and potentially collapse the entire German front. For a perspective,
(04:31):
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
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
(04:55):
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
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.
(05:18):
With the Americans distracted, the German lieutenant seized the opportunity
and blew his whistle. All the unarmed Germans hit the ground,
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,
(05:38):
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
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 missno. How every time I
(05:58):
had come up, I'd done knocked 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 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
(06:20):
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,
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
(06:42):
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 don't
surrender to me, and it was up to me to
look after them. Due to York's efforts, he safely led
one hundred and thirty two German prisoners to American lines.
A dumbfounded lu tenant met him outside of the American
command post and asked, York, have you captured the whole
(07:05):
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 with patriotic decor and broad metropolitan avenues alive
with ticker tate parades. York certainly felt honored by these festivities,
(07:25):
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
vaudeville promoters. Stage producers and film directors. He refused to
exploit his fame for personal gain. However, York's experiences in
(07:49):
the First World War did change him. He saw the
violence and folly of modern industrial warfare firsthand and long
to harness the positive aspects of an increasingly mechani world.
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
(08:12):
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
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 Fentrist County, many of
(08:33):
whom languished in poverty, and emphasized the teaching of agricultural
and industrial arts. Unfortunately, the precarities of the Great Depression
disrupted the school's funding, forcing York to mortgage his farm
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
(08:53):
undeserved emotion of York as school administrator. Regardless of the
state's takeover of the school, York his dreams into practice.
He never stopped fundraising to educate the youth of his
state and region. His deep sense of responsibility toward helping
those close to him and those who needed the most
help cemented his magnanimous legacy from American and German soldiers
(09:15):
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 (09:38):
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. We're proud to call him partner
(10:00):
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
until he didn't converting to Christianity, and then came that
(10:23):
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 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 the
(01:11):
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
(01:54):
in the hills of Fentress County, Tennessee in eighteen eighty seven,
Alvin C. York's early life resembled that of other legendary
as 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.
(02:14):
A gambling, 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 mollifluous voice.
York's conversion in Pacifism occurred just as war broke out
(02:37):
in Europe, and a subsequent draft was in 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 Camp Gordon, Georgia. There he became a walking,
(03:00):
talking 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 breaking point, prompting a long debate with his commanding
officer over Christianity and war's fundamental dictum kill or be killed.
(03:25):
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 an epiphany. God wanted him to fight for his
country 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
(03:49):
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 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
(04:10):
Allies now carried the necessary momentum to launch a great offensive.
The nineteen eighteen Musargone 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
the Meuse River to cut off a crucial German railroad
junction and potentially collapse the entire German front. For a perspective,
(04:31):
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
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
(04:55):
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
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.
(05:18):
With the Americans distracted, the German lieutenant seized the opportunity
and blew his whistle. All the unarmed Germans hit the ground,
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,
(05:38):
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
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 missno. How every time I
(05:58):
had come up, I'd done knocked 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 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
(06:20):
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,
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
(06:42):
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 don't
surrender to me, and it was up to me to
look after them. Due to York's efforts, he safely led
one hundred and thirty two German prisoners to American lines.
A dumbfounded lu tenant met him outside of the American
command post and asked, York, have you captured the whole
(07:05):
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 with patriotic decor and broad metropolitan avenues alive
with ticker tate parades. York certainly felt honored by these festivities,
(07:25):
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
vaudeville promoters. Stage producers and film directors. He refused to
exploit his fame for personal gain. However, York's experiences in
(07:49):
the First World War did change him. He saw the
violence and folly of modern industrial warfare firsthand and long
to harness the positive aspects of an increasingly mechani world.
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
(08:12):
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
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 Fentrist County, many of
(08:33):
whom languished in poverty, and emphasized the teaching of agricultural
and industrial arts. Unfortunately, the precarities of the Great Depression
disrupted the school's funding, forcing York to mortgage his farm
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
(08:53):
undeserved emotion of York as school administrator. Regardless of the
state's takeover of the school, York his dreams into practice.
He never stopped fundraising to educate the youth of his
state and region. His deep sense of responsibility toward helping
those close to him and those who needed the most
help cemented his magnanimous legacy from American and German soldiers
(09:15):
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 (09:38):
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. We're proud to call him partner
(10:00):
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
until he didn't converting to Christianity, and then came that
(10:23):
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
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