[September 02, 2014] Fifty years ago today, in the Nashville Tennessee Veterans Hospital, Alvin York passed away and American lost a true hero.
Nearly everyone has heard of him, often know also by his rank … Sergeant York, he was one of the most decorated American soldiers in World War I. He received the Medal of Honor for destroying a German machine gun nest of 32 guns. During that action, he killed 28 German soldiers and captured 132 others.
York’s life was filled with great struggles. From the conflict of his deep religious beliefs with military service to the struggles with paying his farm’s mortgage, he always refused to take advantage of his hero status. He was not just a hero but also a leader. Plain spoken and humble in all he did.
“Liberty and freedom are so very precious that you do not fight and win them once and stop.” – Alvin York
Many know York from the 1941 movie Sergeant York1 and the book Alvin York: His Own Life Story and War Diary2.
Alvin York is a true American hero. We salute him for his bravery and service to the nation3.
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[1] NY Times 1941 Film Review of the movie Sergeant York: http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=EE05E7DF173BE470BC4B52DFB166838A659EDE
[2] If you can find the original book, grab it: http://www.amazon.com/Sergeant-York-Life-Story-Diary/dp/B00085I6T4
[3] Some very good websites on Alvin York:
http://www.firstworldwar.com/bio/york.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvin_C._York
http://www.worldwar1.com/heritage/sgtayork.htm