TBO Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 Sergeant Alvin York performed the Deeds that won him the Congressional Medal of Honor in World War 1. Sent from my Jack boot using Copatalk 6 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borg warner Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 (edited) It's worth mentioning what this man did to win the Congressional Medal of Honor. With his M1911, Corporal (later promoted to Sergeant ) Alvin C York made six one shot stops in a row with 45 ACP hardball when a German officer and five men charged him with fixed bayonets. Having only a couple of rounds in his rifle, York drew his Colt Government Model 1911 .45, and calmly picked them off back to front nailing them dead center mass in the same manner he hunted ducks back home in Tennessee. He then reloaded his rifle and continued shooting at the machine gunners in the force that he and a handful of men wwere confronted with using his rifle, shouting at them to surrender. Finally a German officer signaled for a parley and was surprised to find out his attacker was a Yank, thinking at first he was British. He turned his P.08 Luger over to York and agreed to surrender his men if York would stop shooting. Alvin agreed, covering the prisoner with his M1911 while about 50 men emerged from the emplacement. One German tossed a hand grenade at York’s head and, though it missed him, it wounded one of the other prisoners. He shot the grenadier, just to make sure the others would come along with no trouble. When the captives were rounded up, York called out to his men to move out. One private expressed his concern that it would be difficult to get the prisoners back to American lines with so few guards. The German officer, overhearing the conversation, asked York just how many men he had, to which the corporal replied, “I got a plenty.” He had the prisoners carry the wounded and pointed his Colt at the major, forcing him to take the head of the column. As they proceeded, two other machine gunners moved into position to fire on the procession. York told the officer to order these men to surrender or he would blow his head off. By the time they reached battalion headquarters, York’s tiny unit had rounded up 132 prisoners. Later, when he reported to the brigade commander, Gen. Julian R. Lindsay, the general commented, “Well, York, I hear you captured the whole damned German army,” York corrected him, “Nossir, I only have 132.” When he was asked how he accomplished the deed, he replied with characteristic understatement, “I surrounded ’em.” It almost seems impossible what he did, but 132 enemy soldiers were indeed captured by just a handful of men commanded by then-Corporal Alvin C York. Edited October 8, 2018 by Borg warner 5 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Eric Posted October 8, 2018 Administrators Share Posted October 8, 2018 It's a damned shame that our nation is so absorbed with today's tawdry spectacles that there isn't any room left to honor someone like this. 7 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deputy tom Posted October 8, 2018 Share Posted October 8, 2018 This should be national Alvin York Day. tom. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TBO Posted October 9, 2018 Author Share Posted October 9, 2018 Character is vastly lacking today, replaced instead by characters. 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
holyjohnson Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 "The Fear of God makes a Hero,The Fear of Man makes a Coward-Alvin York 5 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 It's amazing what you can do, even if you struggle to do it. He felt his religion wouldn't let him kill another human. He determined that his religion also didn't let him allow others to be killed. He did the right thing as he saw it. The best thing any one of us could do, if we have the will he did. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
G21H30 Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 While not in the same division as York,below is a picture of my father. He was born in November of 1895 and was 59 when I was born. He served in Co. C 353 Inf. 89 Inf. Division and was injured in a a gas attack. He returned home and was discharged at Camp Dodge,IA in August 1919. He passed away in March 1960 one month before my 5th birthday. 6 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Historian Posted October 9, 2018 Share Posted October 9, 2018 He looks like a fine man g21h30. Men like him helped free my mother's home. I am grateful to them all. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron B Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Are you sure he was awarded the "Congressional" Medal of Honor? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
janice6 Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 (edited) Alvin York Sergeant Alvin York Birth name Alvin Cullum York Nickname(s) "Sergeant York" Born December 13, 1887 Pall Mall, Tennessee Died September 2, 1964 (aged 76) Nashville, Tennessee Place of burial Wolf River Cemetery, Pall Mall Allegiance United States Service/branch United States Army Years of service 1917–1919 (Army) 1942–1945 (Army) 1941–1951 (Tennessee State Guard) Rank Corporal (at time of Medal of Honor action) Sergeant (at end of World War I) Major (World War II rank) Colonel (Tennessee State Guard rank) Unit Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment, 167th Infantry Brigade, 82nd Infantry Division (World War I) Commands held 7th Regiment, Tennessee State Guard Battles/wars World War I Meuse-Argonne Offensive Awards Medal of Honor Distinguished Service Cross (later upgraded to Medal of Honor) Legion of Honour Croix de guerre (Palm) War Merit Cross Order of Prince Danilo I Spouse(s) Gracie Loretta Williams "...Alvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I.[1] He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, taking at least one machine gun, killing at least 25[2] enemy soldiers and capturing 132. York's Medal of Honor action occurred during the United States-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive in France,..." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_York Edited October 10, 2018 by janice6 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brown Hawk Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 6 hours ago, Ron B said: Are you sure he was awarded the "Congressional" Medal of Honor? Officially it is the Medal of Honor. It has been called the Congressional because it can be recommended by a member of Congress as well as military authorities. Early on, it was also called the Congressional to distinguish it from other medals honoring acts of valor. The members belong to “ The Congressional Medal of Honor Society.” Hawk 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillKilgore Posted October 10, 2018 Share Posted October 10, 2018 Sergeant Alvin York. A true American hero. 2 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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