Memorial Day Thread---The true story of Sgt. York

In 1917, Alvin York was a 29 year old conscientous objector from rural Fentriss County TN. He was a crack shot with a rifle, and his simple, rural lifestyle left him strong and well fit for heavy duty combat. He originally asked for a draft waiver on religious grounds. He was rejected, and later was convinced that joining up was doing the right thing. (he was not a draft dodger. He was truly very religious and pacifist)
He was enlisted in Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Division, US Army. (this division later became the famed 82nd Airborne, one of the top elite formations of the US Army, in WWII. The 82nd Airborne "All Americans" is still one of the 10 principal active divisions in the US Army today and the only division that still deploys by parachute)
His first action was near Pont-a-Mousson, in the St. Mihiel Salient in June 1918. He went over the top for the first time on Sept. 12, 1918. His unit quickly came under a heavy storm of German mustard gas, artillery and machine gun fire. The casulaties were appalling. "It is hard for a simple mountain boy who believed in God to see all those good American boys lying around (dead)...," he said of this incident.
The action that made York world famous was during fierce fighting in the Argonne Forest, on Oct. 8 1918. That day, York's regiment went over the top to break the German siege of the 'Lost Battalion' (the lost battalion is now the feature of a made for TV movie starring Silver Spoons' Ricky Schroeder!) York was a corporal and assigned as squad leader of the left platoon, led by Sgt. Harry Parsons. After a short artillery bombardment, the 2nd Battalion, 328 Infantry, moved off of the recently captured position at Hill 223 and moved across 500 yards of nearly open ground towards the German defenses.
The forces opposite York were parts of the 2nd Wurttemburg Landwehr (Reserve) Divsion. Included in the division's order of battle was the 7th Bavarian Pioneer Regt., commander by Oberst Leutnant (Lt. Col.) Vollmer. This division was severly undermanned, and had been in the line for an extended period. The division was rated in the lowest class by the high command, due to severe exhaustion and high casulaties. The German forces were charged with keeping the Decauville Railroad open.
The 2nd Battalion was coming under heavy fire, so Sgt. Parsons decided to move on the German Heavy machine guns emplaced on their left flank. Sgt. York was one of 16 men to attack the German bunkers.
On the German left, Lt. Col. Vollmer was cut off from the main body of the division. Some of his men, thinking that they were secure behind the bunkers, had dropped their rifles and were trying to eat some quick rations. Vollmer stumbled upon them in a clearing, but as he started to scold them, York and about a squad's worth of Americans charged them. York quickly dropped one German with a shot to the head.
After York shot the German, a machine gun on his flank opened up and 9 Americans were struck before they could find sufficient cover. York dropped the German machine gunner with one shot to the head. Then, as he reloaded another 5 round clip into his Model 1917 Enfield .30 Caliber Rifle (he wasn't one of the luckier soldiers who recieved the M1903 .30 Springfield Rifle, a better rifle based on the Mauser G98 Rifle that the Germans were using).
A group of 6 Germans then charged York, but York calmly shot them down one by one, kneeling the whole time, not missing once. He then used his pistol on the last German. The last German, a Lt., was hit in the gut and 'screamed a lot', according to York.
Vollmer, who was still shooting at York, threw down his pistol and surrendered. He reportedly said "Good Lord", when he found out York was an American, not a British soldier. Then York ordered Vollmer to surrender his men, and Vollmer complied. After surrendering, one German tried to toss a grenade at York, but York dropped him with one pistol shot. After a little while, York had 132 Prisoners.
York had only 7 men with him, but he was able to bluff many Germans into surrender.
When he re-entered American lines, his Brigade commander asked him if he 'Captured the whole damn German Army.' "No," York replied. "Just 132 of them." York has been credited with killing 25 German soldiers and silencing 35 Machine gun positions.
York was awarded the Medal of Honor, and later France's highest decoration, the Croix de Guerre with Palm. When French Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the Allied Supreme Commander, presented him with this honor he said "What you have done is the greatest feat accomplishged by a private soldier in all of Europe's Armies." No such praise ever came from the American commander, General John J. Pershing, who reportedly never mentioned York in any dispatches.
York never wanted any fame, so when he became a media hero back home, he rejected it. The only gift he accepted was 400 acres of land donated by the Nashville Roatary Club. The Alvin C. York foundation was founded in his honor to help educate impoverished mountain folk.
In World War II he was found physically unfit for duty, but was commissioned as a Major due to his exploits.
He died in 1964.

Source--Over There, The US in the Great War, 1917-1918 by Byron Falwell.

...Oscar

I'm going to have more, including the story of Eugene Sledge, 5th Marines, 1st Marine Division in WWII.
He wrote perhaps the most chilling war memoir I have ever read, a real masterpiece called 'With the Old Breed on Pelielu and Okinawa'. If you haven't read it, I suggest you go out and get it ASAP. It is the best personal account of war that I have ever read.

including Tarawa,Iwo Jima,Pelielu,the whole shebang. And then went on to Korea and Viet Nam. He is still alive. He went in as a private and retired a colonel. He will not talk about the wars. There is a Great book there but doubt it will be written. ...Oscar

the battle of Iwo Jima, which saw the 3rd,4th, and 5th Marine Divisions in fierce combat, was somewhat concurrent with Okinawa. Several weeks after the landing at Iwo, the 1st Mar Div. was part of the 10th Army which landed on Okinawa on April 1, 1945.

I believe the 1st Mar. Division assaulted Cape Gloucester just a week or two after the bloodbath at Tarawa, where most of the Marines were part of the 2nd Marine Div.


Nevertheless, every major engagement from Guadalcanal to Okinawa was a real test of human endurance. Okinawa was the bloodiest campaign in the Pacific on both land and sea. I interviewed a former Army officer who served with the 7th Infantry Division on Okinawa, a superb unit. He said Okinawa was pure hell from the time they hit the Shuri line to the end. I hope you wish your uncle well on Memorial Day and thank him for his service.

I served with 2 different units during my time in VIET NAM. I don`t know if you are right or not as to whether the 1st MAR DIV was there or not, my uncle HARRY WAS ! My mother saved his letters home and he fought in all those battles. You are pissing me off ! What makes you an expert on Marine Corps History anyway. Reading books. Were you in the SUCK or not? ...Oscar

I didn't doubt you were being honest, but you did mention that he never talked about the war and perhaps you were mistaken. I never said your uncle was a liar either. Perhaps he was in an eingineer unit or some specialist unit (Marine Raider commando?) that was transferred between divisions. I do know there were many Guadalcanal Veterans on Tarawa And every other Pacific Battle, and many units were reorganized during the war.

I am not an expert in USMC history, do not claim to be and no I have never been in the Service. I had a choice to go into the service or go to college. My father had gone into the service (US Army, in Germany) and wanted me to go to college. He died when I was 17, so I decided to do what he had wanted and went to college. Sorry, but you do not have to be in the USMC to know basic facts about it's history or the basic course of events during the War. These can be looked up in any book or web site. Iwo Jima was assaulted on Feb. 19, 1945 and lasted a month. Okinawa began on April 1, 1945. To my knowledge, no Marine units from Iwo were transferred to Okinawa during the main part of the battle, from April 1--June 22. Perhaps some were transferred there later from Iwo for the invasion of Japan or for garrison duty. I have the US Army Green Book on Okinawa, with a complete order of battle for all units engaged. If I am wrong, I apologize in advance.

I met no disrespect---I just pointed out that 1 Marine Division was not present at either Iwo or Tarawa because of obligations elsewhere. I am sure many men were shifted among units, and elite units like the Raiders were used in many campaigns, until they were spread out.

My Uncle was an infantryman, he did fight in the battles I said he did. You are probably right that it was not with the 1RST MAR DIV at Tarawa and Iwo Jima but like I said they transfer you to different units as needed. The reason I know he participated in both those battles is that he said in one of his letters home that for him Tarawa was much worse than Iwo Jima. How Bad things are gets down to time and place and event what squad you were with. No hard feelings from me, I consider you a friend and appreciate your well written pieces. Let`s be pals, ...Oscar

My father died recently but he was 91 years old and he was there for me as much as any son could ask for. I miss him dearly. Live long and Prosper, ...Oscar

I never meant to insinuate you or your Uncle was lying.
Since I have never served, I really hate when combat veterans think I am insulting them. I went to college (U of MD) and majored in History. I am a voracious reader of all types of history (I am a true speed reader), particularly 20th Century History. I read everything from Teddy Roosevelt Biography to Russian Communism to WWII campaigns to Clinton's impeachment.
When I was in High School I wanted to be a Ranger, because I had read about Point-Du-Hoc on D-Day. I really contemplated going into the military, but both of my parents really wanted me to go to college. My father went into the Army in the late 1950s-early 1960s for several years, served in Germany and later became a salesman for a distributor of Hunting/Fishing gear, which he did for thirty years before he died. He wished he went to school, eventually taking classes at a Community School, hoping to get a degree in History. He got an associates degree, but he really wanted me to go all the way, knowing that I was even more of a history buff than he was.

He smoked for many years. He died when I was 17 of a heart attack.

I now work for a law firm that does much work in Military law/veterans affairs in Annapolis. It was old vets that first raised my anger against GWB, because of veterans benefits. I worked here in College, too. I get to meet many veterans, and for a project one year for school I interviewed 2 vets on the Okinawa campaign, as well as read the Official histories and several other books on the battle. One served with the 7th Division, Army and the other was an anti-aircraft gunner on a destroyer protecting the fleet at Okinawa. It was one of the best papers I ever did, and if my old computer hadn't crashed, I would still have it today.

is why us lower ranking Marines called the Corps " the suck " . I like you you and respect you. I have an interest in science and have made what I believe to be two important original discoveries. One has to do with the treatment of viral diseases. I believe I have correctly identified the reaction mechanisms that explain the anti-viral properties of the food preservative commonly known as BHT , which is an acronym for butylated hydroxytoluene. Current language rules re: this compound would call it < 1 hydroxy 2,6 tert-butyl,4 methyl benzene >. Anyway, this compound effectively treated me for hepatitis-C. A lot has been written about the anti-viral properties of this compound but, in my opinion, no one other than myself has given an adequate explanation for how it works. My theories are that these molecules generate free radical and ionic reactions intracellularily which rapidly destroy the viruses. I have written lengthy papers detailing this process in all regards in the the DU forums and sent manuscripts to the CDC,American Liver Foundation and many other places. My second important discovery is that the windhexe machine and what is becoming known as vortex technology cannot explain where the energy comes from to enable the windhexe to powderize concrete,wood chips,metal cans,sewage,garbage and on and on. The answer is that it is the angular momentum of the Earth,the phenomenon is called angular momentum transfer.I have written at length on both subjects answering all questions and proposing tests to prove or disprove my theories. My writings are to be found in the science section of the DU forums. If you have some Friend involved in physics,molecular biology or a related field they should be interested. This is important stuff,check it out if you have time. ...Oscar

I do not know if he was attached to the 1st MAR DIV or not during those battles only that he was there from letters sent home my Mother saved. During my service in Viet NAM I fought with both the 1st and 3rd Divisions. They send you where they need you ,so he could very well have served with more than one Division, I did in Viet Nam. ...Oscar

i am an armchair warrior myself

I will check out the book you recommended and will be interested in any others you may know.

have you read "The Storm of Steel" by Ernst Junger? WWI from a german perspective along the lines of "all's quiet on the western front"

The Storm of Steel is an excellent book.