Awesome Dudes

World War I

York eventually was drafted into the United States Army and assigned to the 82nd Infantry Division in 1917.

When York received his draft notice, he wanted to serve his country, but, as a new Christian, he hesitated to join the Army because the violence of war troubled him. After spending two days in prayer on a mountain near his home, however, York told his family, “I’m going” and enlisted in the Army.

As a corporal in the 2nd battalion, 328th Infantry, in the Battle of Meuse River-Argonne Forest on 8 October 1918, he assumed command of his detachment after three other NCOs fell. York’s battalion’s mission was to take the German Decauville Rail-line and sever it. Taking the railroad was vital since it would sever lateral support and communications behind the German lines and open the way for a broader Allied attack. The line of attack took the 328th up a funnel-shaped valley, which became narrower as they advanced. On each side and the far side of the valley were steep ridges, occupied by German machine gun emplacements and infantry troops. As the Americans advanced up the valley, it encountered intense German machine gun fires from the left and right flanks and the front. Soon, heavy artillery poured in upon the beleaguered Regiment, compelling the American attack to stall. The Americans were caught in a deadly cross-fire. As York recollected:

“The Germans got us, and they got us right smart. They just stopped us dead in our tracks. Their machine guns were up there on the heights overlooking us and well hidden, and we couldn’t tell for certain where the terrible heavy fire was coming from…And I’m telling you they were shooting straight. Our boys just went down like the long grass before the mowing machine at home. Our attack just faded out… And there we were, lying down, about halfway across [the valley] and those German machine guns and big shells getting us hard.”

The blistering German fire took a heavy toll on the regiment with the survivors seeking cover wherever they could find it. Something had to be done to silence the German machine guns. Sergeant Bernard Early was ordered to take three squads of men (which included York’s squad) to get behind the German entrenchments to take out the machine guns. They successfully worked their way behind the German positions and quickly overran the headquarters of a German unit, capturing a large group of German soldiers who were preparing to counter-attack against the US troops.

Early’s men were contending with the prisoners when machine gun fire suddenly peppered the area, killing six Americans and wounding three others. The fire came from German machine guns on the ridge, which turned their weapons on the US soldiers. The loss of the nine put Corporal York in charge of the eight remaining US soldiers. As his men remained under cover, and guarding the prisoners, York worked his way into position to silence the German machine guns.

“And those machine guns were spitting fire and cutting down the undergrowth all around me something awful. And the Germans were yelling orders. You never heard such a ‘racket in all of your life. I didn’t have time to dodge behind a tree or dive into the brush… As soon as the machine guns opened fire on me, I began to exchange shots with them. There were over thirty of them in continuous action, and all I could do was touch the Germans off just as fast as I could. I was sharp shooting. I don’t think I missed a shot. It was no time to miss… All the time I kept yelling at them to come down. I didn’t want to kill any more than I had to. But it was they or I. And I was giving them the best I had.” — Sergeant Alvin York

One of York’s prisoners, a First Lieutenant Vollmer, emptied his pistol trying to kill York (while York was contending with the machine guns). Failing to injure York, and seeing his mounting losses; he offered to surrender the unit to York, which was gladly accepted. By the end of the engagement, York and his seven men marched 132 German prisoners back to the American lines. His actions silenced the German machine guns and were responsible for enabling the 328th Infantry Regiment to renew the offensive to capture the Decauville Railroad.

The fact York deserves credit for his heroism is without question. York saved his battalion from destruction by his actions which resulted in the silencing of thirty-five machine guns and the capture of 132 German prisoners from the 120th and 125th Wurttemberg regiments, the 7th Bavarian Mining Company and the 210th Prussian Reserve Regiment.

The evidence supporting York’s actions is overwhelming. In October 2006, a team of military experts and researchers found all 21 of the cartridges fired by York - in the exact location where both the German and American records said the events transpired. ^[3][4]

Initially, York’s chain of command honored this accomplishment by awarding him the Distinguished Service Cross. France, whose forces he was directly aiding and whose territory was involved, added its Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor. Italy and Montenegro, also allies, awarded him their Croce di Guerra and War Medal, respectively. The Distinguished Service Cross was upgraded to the Medal of Honor, which was presented to York by the commanding general of the American Expeditionary Force, John J. Pershing.

At the time of his heroics, York was in fact still a corporal. His promotion to sergeant was part of the honor for his valor but resulted in his becoming known to the United States (and much of the world) as “Sergeant York”.

A conversation between Sergeant York and his Division Commander, General Lindsey, in January 1919 when they toured the site where York captured 132 Germans three months earlier reveals Alvin’s thoughts about the episode:

General Lindsey: “York, how did you do it?”

Alvin York: “Sir, it is not man power. A higher power than man power guided and watched over me and told me what to do.” And the general bowed his head and put his hand on my shoulder and solemnly said”

General Lindsay: “York, you are right.”

Alvin York: “There can be no doubt in the world of the fact of the divine power being in that. No other power under heaven could bring a man out of a place like that. Men were killed on both sides of me; and I was the biggest and the most exposed of all. Over thirty machine guns were maintaining rapid fire at me, point-blank from a range of about twenty-five yards. When you have God behind you, you can come out on top every time.”