1 00:00:01,120 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class from how 2 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: Stuff Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. 3 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,680 Speaker 1: I'm Tracy V. Wilson and I'm Holly fry back In 4 00:00:18,480 --> 00:00:21,279 Speaker 1: we did a podcast about Desmond T. Doss and that 5 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,800 Speaker 1: was the first conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:27,960 Speaker 1: of Honor, and from time to time when we share 7 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:31,200 Speaker 1: that episode on our social media, someone comments something along 8 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: the lines of, what about Alvin York. So we're coming 9 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:38,320 Speaker 1: up on the centennial of the act of heroism that 10 00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,880 Speaker 1: earned Alvin York the Medal of Honor that happened on 11 00:00:40,960 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: October nine, eighteen, so it seemed like a good time 12 00:00:44,280 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: to talk about him and to answer that frequently asked 13 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: question from our social media. Also, Alvin York's name is 14 00:00:52,200 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 1: pretty well known thanks to the nineteen forty one film 15 00:00:55,240 --> 00:00:59,240 Speaker 1: Sergeant York starring Gary Cooper, and the real life Alvin 16 00:00:59,320 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: York was an eyes are on the film. But it 17 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,480 Speaker 1: really takes a whole lot of liberties, and it also 18 00:01:03,720 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: stops before the part of York's life that he thought 19 00:01:07,319 --> 00:01:10,800 Speaker 1: of as a much greater achievement than the actions that 20 00:01:10,840 --> 00:01:13,000 Speaker 1: earned him the Medal of Honor. So that is what 21 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:15,520 Speaker 1: we were going to talk about today. Alvin Cullum York 22 00:01:15,640 --> 00:01:19,119 Speaker 1: was born on his family's small farm near Palmell, Tennessee, 23 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:22,920 Speaker 1: in the Wolf River Valley, on December thirteenth of eight seven. 24 00:01:23,640 --> 00:01:27,000 Speaker 1: His parents were William Muriah York and Mary Elizabeth York, 25 00:01:27,360 --> 00:01:30,480 Speaker 1: and he was the third of eleven children. They all 26 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: lived in a dog trot cabin of the sort that 27 00:01:32,720 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: we actually talked about in our recent episode on air conditioning. 28 00:01:36,160 --> 00:01:40,080 Speaker 1: The Yorks were mostly subsistence farmers, although William also earned 29 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:43,279 Speaker 1: some money as a blacksmith. As Alvin got a little older, 30 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 1: he joined his father in that work, and Alvin also 31 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: supplemented the famili's food supply through his growing skill as 32 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: a marksman, both from hunting and from winning turkey shoots. 33 00:01:54,200 --> 00:01:57,800 Speaker 1: The Wolf River Valley area was extremely isolated when Alvin 34 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:00,520 Speaker 1: York was growing up. There were no paved roads or 35 00:02:00,600 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 1: railroads Infantris County, where Palmell is located. The Wolf River 36 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,679 Speaker 1: itself also wasn't navigable by steamboat, and most of the 37 00:02:08,720 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 1: families living there were also subsistence farmers like the Yorks, 38 00:02:12,760 --> 00:02:15,360 Speaker 1: and this meant that Alvin, his siblings, and their friends 39 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:19,079 Speaker 1: had very little formal education, their labor was needed on 40 00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:22,440 Speaker 1: the farm in order for the family to survive. York 41 00:02:22,560 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: described himself as having a third grade education, and that 42 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,120 Speaker 1: amounted to about three months of school per year, spread 43 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,480 Speaker 1: across three years. William York died in nineteen eleven after 44 00:02:33,520 --> 00:02:36,440 Speaker 1: being injured by a mule. Twenty four year old Alvin 45 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:39,120 Speaker 1: was the oldest of the York children still living at home, 46 00:02:39,200 --> 00:02:41,960 Speaker 1: and his older brothers had families of their own, so 47 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:45,160 Speaker 1: Alvin essentially became the head of the family. He was 48 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:47,760 Speaker 1: expected to run the farm and to look after his mother, 49 00:02:47,880 --> 00:02:50,880 Speaker 1: and to help raise his youngest siblings. He had real 50 00:02:50,919 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: trouble coping with all of these new responsibilities and with 51 00:02:54,440 --> 00:02:57,160 Speaker 1: the grief over his father's death. He and his father 52 00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,080 Speaker 1: had bonded while hunting together, and Alvin deep respected his father. 53 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: After William Yorke died, Alvin and some of his friends 54 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:09,160 Speaker 1: became increasingly rowdy. They headed across the border into Kentucky 55 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:12,760 Speaker 1: to gamble and drink, and soon Alvin had several arrests 56 00:03:12,800 --> 00:03:16,400 Speaker 1: on his record, mainly for intoxication or trouble that he 57 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,760 Speaker 1: got into while he was intoxicated. One night, Alvin and 58 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:22,639 Speaker 1: his best friend Everett Delk got into a fight at 59 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:27,120 Speaker 1: a bar. Circumstances aren't completely clear, but Delk was killed. 60 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: York was the one who had to take his friend's 61 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: body him, and at that point he started seriously reconsidering 62 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,880 Speaker 1: his choices. The Yorks, like virtually all of their neighbors, 63 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,720 Speaker 1: were churchgoers, and Alvin had been raised in a devout 64 00:03:40,800 --> 00:03:44,200 Speaker 1: Christian household, but in the years after his father's death, 65 00:03:44,360 --> 00:03:48,240 Speaker 1: Alvin was no longer actively attending. He returned to church 66 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: in part because he had met a young woman that 67 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: he was quite fond of. Her name was Gracie Williams. 68 00:03:53,840 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: Gracie's father thought Alvin was too old for her, and 69 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: on top of that, an unbeliever, and he would not 70 00:03:59,080 --> 00:04:02,400 Speaker 1: allow them to and the last week of nineteen fourteen, 71 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: York attended a revival held by an itinerant preacher, the 72 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:10,320 Speaker 1: Reverend Melvin Herbert Russell. Alvin went to this revival in 73 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:12,560 Speaker 1: part because he knew Gracie was going to be there, 74 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 1: But on the last day of the revival, which was 75 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:20,120 Speaker 1: on New Year's Day nineteen fifteen, something really shifted for him. 76 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 1: On that particular day, he described the gospel quote as 77 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: if lightning had struck my soul. When the preacher put 78 00:04:27,040 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 1: out the invitation for people to come forward and to 79 00:04:29,880 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: publicly repent of their sins, Alvin did. This was a 80 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:36,279 Speaker 1: night and day change for the way that he was living. 81 00:04:36,760 --> 00:04:39,120 Speaker 1: He gave up alcohol and he started trying to live 82 00:04:39,160 --> 00:04:41,760 Speaker 1: his life in a Christian way when that was rooted 83 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:46,880 Speaker 1: in honesty, decency, mercy, and kindness. Soon Alvin and Gracie 84 00:04:46,880 --> 00:04:50,880 Speaker 1: were seriously courting. In his words quote Ms. Gracey said 85 00:04:50,880 --> 00:04:53,200 Speaker 1: that she wouldn't let me come according until I'd quit 86 00:04:53,240 --> 00:04:56,680 Speaker 1: my mean drinking, fighting and card flipping. So you see, 87 00:04:56,680 --> 00:04:58,880 Speaker 1: I was struck down by the power of love and 88 00:04:58,920 --> 00:05:02,159 Speaker 1: the Great God Almighty all together. One of the York's 89 00:05:02,200 --> 00:05:06,680 Speaker 1: neighbors was also a pastor, Rosier Pile. Pile became a 90 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: mentor to York after his conversion and then after another 91 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,920 Speaker 1: revival in the area, Pile and York established a congregation 92 00:05:14,000 --> 00:05:17,080 Speaker 1: of the Church of Christ and Christian Union, also called 93 00:05:17,120 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: the Three c U. York became a singer and an 94 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:24,520 Speaker 1: elder in their newly established church. After the Selective Service 95 00:05:24,560 --> 00:05:28,040 Speaker 1: Act was passed in nineteen seventeen, York was required to 96 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:31,480 Speaker 1: register for the draft. He did, but in the space 97 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: that asked, do you claim exemption from draft? Specify grounds? 98 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: He wrote, yes, don't want to fight. He had come 99 00:05:39,720 --> 00:05:43,520 Speaker 1: to believe that fighting and killing were sinful under any circumstances, 100 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:47,240 Speaker 1: and this belief contradicted his desire to serve his country. 101 00:05:47,560 --> 00:05:50,320 Speaker 1: His ancestors had also fought for the Union during the 102 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: Civil War, and part of him felt like he should 103 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: follow in their footsteps. He was really troubled over all 104 00:05:56,120 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: of these conflicting impulses about what was the right thing 105 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:02,279 Speaker 1: to do. York had filled out his draft registration card 106 00:06:02,320 --> 00:06:05,320 Speaker 1: in June of nineteen seventeen, and that same month he 107 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:09,600 Speaker 1: got engaged to Gracie Williams. Then on August he reported 108 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:12,880 Speaker 1: for his physical He was found fit to serve, and 109 00:06:12,920 --> 00:06:17,159 Speaker 1: he started formally applying for conscientious object or status. This 110 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,240 Speaker 1: is not something that you could just say, I'm a 111 00:06:20,279 --> 00:06:23,560 Speaker 1: conscientious objector. There were rules that you had to document 112 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:26,080 Speaker 1: what we were talking about and why you had an 113 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:29,760 Speaker 1: objection to serving in a military capacity. But his application 114 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 1: was turned down. The board ruled that the Church of 115 00:06:33,200 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: Christ and Christian Union was not a quote well recognized 116 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: religious sect since at the time it existed in only 117 00:06:40,120 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: three states. The board also noted that the three CU 118 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:47,760 Speaker 1: quote has no special creed except the Bible, which it's 119 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:51,719 Speaker 1: members more or less interpret for themselves. Some members of 120 00:06:51,720 --> 00:06:54,039 Speaker 1: the church interpreted the Bible to mean that fighting in 121 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:57,400 Speaker 1: the war was sinful, but others did not. York filed 122 00:06:57,480 --> 00:07:01,480 Speaker 1: several applications for conscientious objectors attis, but once he reported 123 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,440 Speaker 1: for duty, he stopped doing this. At least one request 124 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,280 Speaker 1: was filed on his behalf in nineteen eighteen, though that 125 00:07:09,360 --> 00:07:12,320 Speaker 1: was done without his knowledge or consent, And that's probably 126 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: where some confusion comes from about the idea that somebody 127 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: else applied for him. Sometimes you'll see it described that 128 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: he never filed um an application on his own. That's 129 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: definitely not correct. There are multiple applications on record, but 130 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:30,560 Speaker 1: he did write about how he had never done it 131 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:32,960 Speaker 1: in terms of this one that was done after he 132 00:07:33,040 --> 00:07:35,880 Speaker 1: was already surveying, that was done without his consent. We 133 00:07:35,960 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: are going to talk about York's time in the army 134 00:07:38,200 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: after we first paused for a little sponsor break. Once 135 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,120 Speaker 1: he got into the army, in some ways, Alvin York 136 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: seemed to really enjoy basic training, finding it easier than 137 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: being at home. His family had been living in poverty 138 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,080 Speaker 1: for all of his life, and the food was in 139 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:01,640 Speaker 1: very short supply. I But in the army he was 140 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,040 Speaker 1: getting three meals a day and a cot to himself 141 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: that he didn't have to share, plus a new uniform 142 00:08:07,200 --> 00:08:09,920 Speaker 1: that was provided for him. And it also helped that 143 00:08:09,960 --> 00:08:11,880 Speaker 1: some of the things he was supposed to be learning 144 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:16,040 Speaker 1: were things he already really excelled at, particularly marksmanship. But 145 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: in another way, it was quite difficult. York had never 146 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:23,600 Speaker 1: been more than fifty miles away from Powell Mall. Nearly 147 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,520 Speaker 1: everyone living in Fentriss County was white and had been 148 00:08:26,560 --> 00:08:29,480 Speaker 1: living there for generations. But many of the men in 149 00:08:29,520 --> 00:08:32,560 Speaker 1: training with him were immigrants to the United States who 150 00:08:32,559 --> 00:08:35,440 Speaker 1: had been living in northern cities, and they couldn't understand 151 00:08:35,440 --> 00:08:38,520 Speaker 1: one another, and they had very little in common. His 152 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:41,800 Speaker 1: religious devotion also really set him apart from most of 153 00:08:41,840 --> 00:08:45,040 Speaker 1: the other men, and he had to keep his still 154 00:08:45,120 --> 00:08:49,200 Speaker 1: troubled conscience to himself. Men who objected to the war 155 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: were seen as cowards and idlers, and often they faced 156 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:57,000 Speaker 1: extensive harassment from their fellow soldiers. So even though he 157 00:08:57,080 --> 00:08:59,800 Speaker 1: was having three square meals a day and a bed 158 00:08:59,840 --> 00:09:01,120 Speaker 1: just leap and that he didn't have to share with 159 00:09:01,160 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: anybody and that sort of thing. Socially, he was very isolated. 160 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:08,200 Speaker 1: Once he was finished with basic training, York continued to 161 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: have doubts about what he was doing. These doubts escalated 162 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: while he was stationed in Camp Gordon, Georgia, with Company G, 163 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: Infantry Regiment, eighty second U. S. Army Infantry Division. Some 164 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:24,040 Speaker 1: of their exercises at this point weren't just about marksmanship. 165 00:09:24,360 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 1: They were about killing with both firearms and bayonets, and 166 00:09:28,200 --> 00:09:31,600 Speaker 1: that whole idea continued to really trouble him. He talked 167 00:09:31,600 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: to two officers about his doubts. They were Captain E. C. B. 168 00:09:35,240 --> 00:09:39,560 Speaker 1: Dan Fourth Jr. And George Edward Buxton, and these three 169 00:09:39,600 --> 00:09:44,199 Speaker 1: men had lengthy discussions about what was weighing on York's conscience. 170 00:09:44,920 --> 00:09:47,880 Speaker 1: Dan Forth and Buxton were both really familiar with the Bible, 171 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,199 Speaker 1: and they and York thoughtfully talked through what the scriptures 172 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: had to say about things like war and fighting and duty. 173 00:09:54,920 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: When these conversations didn't totally resolve York's doubts, he was 174 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,440 Speaker 1: given leave to go back calm and consider what he 175 00:10:01,480 --> 00:10:05,280 Speaker 1: should do. So we went back to Tennessee, and while 176 00:10:05,280 --> 00:10:08,000 Speaker 1: he was there he ultimately decided that it was God's 177 00:10:08,000 --> 00:10:11,200 Speaker 1: will for him to fight in the army. He described 178 00:10:11,240 --> 00:10:14,240 Speaker 1: it as having received assurance from God himself that this 179 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: was the right thing to do, and that assurance came 180 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,920 Speaker 1: after about thirty six hours of fasting and prayer. And 181 00:10:20,960 --> 00:10:23,760 Speaker 1: that's why Alvin York isn't considered to be the first 182 00:10:23,840 --> 00:10:27,200 Speaker 1: conscientious objector to earn the Medal of Honor. He did 183 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: earn the Medal of Honor, which we're going to talk about, 184 00:10:29,720 --> 00:10:33,280 Speaker 1: but he ultimately reconciled his questions of conscience and he 185 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: served in a combat role rather than serving in a 186 00:10:36,679 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: non combat role as a conscientious objector or going to 187 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:44,640 Speaker 1: prison rather than serving. Shortly after York returned to duty 188 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: on March thirty one, nineteen eighteen, his division was sent overseas. 189 00:10:49,520 --> 00:10:52,079 Speaker 1: They spent several months rotating in and out of trenches 190 00:10:52,120 --> 00:10:55,600 Speaker 1: along the front, and then the muse are Gun Offensive 191 00:10:55,720 --> 00:10:59,960 Speaker 1: began on September twenty nine, and that continued until the 192 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:02,680 Speaker 1: armistice was signed at the end of the war. It 193 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:05,040 Speaker 1: was part of the one d Days Offensive, which we 194 00:11:05,040 --> 00:11:07,880 Speaker 1: talked about in our recent episode on the Battle of Amiens. 195 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 1: York earned his Medal of honor during the music On Offensive. 196 00:11:12,480 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: By that point he had been promoted to corporal. The 197 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: eighty second Infantry Division was deployed to capture the Deco 198 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,120 Speaker 1: Villa Railroad, which was being used to resupply German troops, 199 00:11:22,679 --> 00:11:25,680 Speaker 1: but on the way there they encountered heavy machine gun 200 00:11:25,720 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: fire that kept them from reaching their target. On October eight, 201 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 1: York's platoon was ordered to cross a valley to capture 202 00:11:32,520 --> 00:11:36,480 Speaker 1: the machine gun nest that was preventing their advance. This 203 00:11:36,520 --> 00:11:38,559 Speaker 1: meant that they had to cross a stretch of open 204 00:11:38,720 --> 00:11:42,200 Speaker 1: territory to get to their target. An artillery barrage that 205 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: was supposed to protect them never arrived, and they faced 206 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:48,720 Speaker 1: huge casualties as they tried to cross the valley. Only 207 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,640 Speaker 1: seventeen men were still able to fight. Once they found 208 00:11:51,679 --> 00:11:54,760 Speaker 1: an unused trench to take cover in. This was not 209 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:57,760 Speaker 1: an actual combat trench. It was like it had built 210 00:11:57,760 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: from some other agricultural pers maybe so it was a 211 00:12:01,880 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 1: temporary shelter, not something that was actually meant for military use. 212 00:12:06,360 --> 00:12:09,760 Speaker 1: And from there they carefully made their way back behind 213 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 1: the German line, where they surprised two German soldiers wearing 214 00:12:13,440 --> 00:12:17,560 Speaker 1: red Cross arm bands. When these soldiers disappeared into the brush. 215 00:12:17,720 --> 00:12:21,640 Speaker 1: The American force pursued them, but on the other side 216 00:12:21,640 --> 00:12:25,440 Speaker 1: of the brush was Lieutenant Paul Jurgen Vollmer's headquarters, which 217 00:12:25,520 --> 00:12:30,080 Speaker 1: was full of German soldiers eating breakfast. These soldiers had 218 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:33,520 Speaker 1: hiked through the night. They were exhausted, and they were hungry, 219 00:12:34,080 --> 00:12:36,760 Speaker 1: and they seemed to believe that these American soldiers who 220 00:12:36,840 --> 00:12:39,440 Speaker 1: had just come in on them were an advanced unit 221 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:42,360 Speaker 1: connected to a much larger force. A lot of the 222 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:47,360 Speaker 1: German soldiers immediately surrendered. At this point, the German machine 223 00:12:47,360 --> 00:12:50,680 Speaker 1: gun crew on a hill above the headquarters noticed what 224 00:12:50,800 --> 00:12:53,400 Speaker 1: was happening, and they yelled in German for the soldiers 225 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,760 Speaker 1: to drop, and then they opened fire on the American force. 226 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:01,360 Speaker 1: Six Americans were killed, including Corporal Murray Savage, who had 227 00:13:01,360 --> 00:13:05,679 Speaker 1: become close friends with York. The wounded included their commanding officer, 228 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:10,400 Speaker 1: Sergeant Bernard Early, and another officer, Corporal William Cutting. Of 229 00:13:10,440 --> 00:13:13,000 Speaker 1: the seventeen men who had taken cover in the trench, 230 00:13:13,440 --> 00:13:16,720 Speaker 1: only eight men, including York, were still able to fight. 231 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:20,360 Speaker 1: York took command, and he and the other seven men 232 00:13:20,400 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: found cover on the side of the hill and started 233 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,240 Speaker 1: returning fire against these machine gunners. Because of the way 234 00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: that York and the surviving men were tucked in at 235 00:13:28,559 --> 00:13:30,760 Speaker 1: the bottom of the hill, the German force up at 236 00:13:30,760 --> 00:13:32,440 Speaker 1: the top of the hill had to stand up and 237 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:35,600 Speaker 1: lean forward to aim down at them. York and the 238 00:13:35,640 --> 00:13:38,120 Speaker 1: other Americans shot at them when they did this, with 239 00:13:38,280 --> 00:13:40,520 Speaker 1: York calling out for them to surrender so that they 240 00:13:40,520 --> 00:13:44,360 Speaker 1: wouldn't be killed. Then a German lieutenant and about six 241 00:13:44,400 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: soldiers tried to charge down the hill with bayonets, trying 242 00:13:47,800 --> 00:13:50,960 Speaker 1: to take down whoever was killing the machine gunners that 243 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: was mostly York, and York shot each of them with 244 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:56,280 Speaker 1: his pistol, working from the back of the charge to 245 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:58,959 Speaker 1: the front, using the same technique he had used when 246 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: hunting turkeys or other birds at home and when hunting. 247 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: The idea was to take down the birds at the 248 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:06,920 Speaker 1: back without alarming the ones at the front and causing 249 00:14:06,960 --> 00:14:10,120 Speaker 1: them to scatter, and when York was being charged, he 250 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: was starting with the men at the back so that 251 00:14:11,840 --> 00:14:14,040 Speaker 1: they couldn't take cover behind the bodies of the men 252 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,040 Speaker 1: in front. One of the men also threw a small 253 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:20,720 Speaker 1: grenade at York, but that missed. At this point, Valmer, 254 00:14:20,800 --> 00:14:22,800 Speaker 1: who had lived in the United States for a while 255 00:14:22,880 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: called out to York in English English. York answered, no, 256 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:33,680 Speaker 1: not English. Valmer said what, and York answered American. Volmer replied, 257 00:14:33,760 --> 00:14:36,440 Speaker 1: good lord, if you won't shoot anymore, I will make 258 00:14:36,480 --> 00:14:38,520 Speaker 1: them give up, and then he ordered the rest of 259 00:14:38,560 --> 00:14:42,040 Speaker 1: the German force to surrender. Four German officers and a 260 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:45,560 Speaker 1: hundred and twenty eight men were captured. The other Americans 261 00:14:45,600 --> 00:14:48,320 Speaker 1: who were there credited York with doing the vast majority 262 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: of the work. They escorted the German prisoners back to 263 00:14:51,600 --> 00:14:55,160 Speaker 1: a command post, and that command post had no facilities 264 00:14:55,200 --> 00:14:57,560 Speaker 1: to hold them, so they marched about ten miles to 265 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:00,880 Speaker 1: the brigade headquarters. By the time time they arrived there, 266 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:04,000 Speaker 1: they had picked up other German POWs as well, for 267 00:15:04,040 --> 00:15:07,440 Speaker 1: a total of about two hundred. After this, with those 268 00:15:07,480 --> 00:15:10,160 Speaker 1: machine guns out of commission, the Allies were able to 269 00:15:10,200 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: capture the deck of the railroad as planned. From there, 270 00:15:13,800 --> 00:15:16,560 Speaker 1: York and the rest of his units saw combat repeatedly 271 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:19,480 Speaker 1: between that October eighth engagement and the end of the war. 272 00:15:20,240 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: On November one of nineteen eighteen, York was promoted to sergeant, 273 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:27,200 Speaker 1: and then the war ended. On November eleven, Sergeant Alvin 274 00:15:27,280 --> 00:15:30,480 Speaker 1: York was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the Quada Gair 275 00:15:30,600 --> 00:15:33,400 Speaker 1: with palms and the Middle of Honor for his actions 276 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 1: on October eighth of nineteen eighteen. The Medal of Honor 277 00:15:36,920 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: was awarded on April eighteenth of nineteen nineteen, and the 278 00:15:39,640 --> 00:15:44,200 Speaker 1: citation reads quote After his platoon had suffered heavy casualties 279 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:48,600 Speaker 1: and three other non commissioned officers had become casualties, Corporal 280 00:15:48,680 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: York assumed command fearlessly, Leading seven men. He charged with 281 00:15:53,120 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: great during a machine gun nest which was pouring deadly 282 00:15:56,480 --> 00:16:00,720 Speaker 1: and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat, 283 00:16:00,760 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: the machine gun nest was taken, together with four officers 284 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:08,720 Speaker 1: and one eight men and several guns. Later on, Sergeant 285 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:11,680 Speaker 1: early In Corporal Cutting, who had enlisted under a false 286 00:16:11,760 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 1: name and was really Otis B. Matthew, where each awarded 287 00:16:14,880 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: the Distinguished Service Cross as well. There are a couple 288 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:22,080 Speaker 1: of misconceptions about York's heroism on October eight and one 289 00:16:22,120 --> 00:16:25,240 Speaker 1: is that he captured thirty five machine guns. This is 290 00:16:25,280 --> 00:16:28,440 Speaker 1: repeated in a lot of places, including on the plank 291 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:31,320 Speaker 1: of a statue of him, and that thirty five number 292 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,240 Speaker 1: is a huge exaggeration. It's something neither York nor his 293 00:16:34,280 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: military record ever claimed, Yes, sometimes plaques on statues and 294 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,040 Speaker 1: historical marker signs are just not right for for a 295 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,840 Speaker 1: variety of reasons, for a number of reasons. So yeah, 296 00:16:45,840 --> 00:16:48,480 Speaker 1: this this is an exaggeration. That's not something he ever 297 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: said he did. And the other misconception is that he 298 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:54,440 Speaker 1: did it single handedly. This is something that also appears 299 00:16:54,480 --> 00:16:57,680 Speaker 1: and a lot of places. It seems to have originated 300 00:16:57,680 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: with a Saturday Evening Post article by or Petulo that 301 00:17:00,880 --> 00:17:05,200 Speaker 1: was published on April nine, and then that was picked 302 00:17:05,320 --> 00:17:10,560 Speaker 1: up by other news sources. Patulo had interviewed several survivors 303 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,560 Speaker 1: of the day, including Sergeant Early, and in his words 304 00:17:13,560 --> 00:17:16,719 Speaker 1: in this article quote there were seven other Americans present 305 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: at the fight, but it was York's battle and only York's. 306 00:17:21,320 --> 00:17:24,880 Speaker 1: But that is simply not true. The seven other men 307 00:17:24,920 --> 00:17:30,040 Speaker 1: were Private Percy Beardsley, Private Joe Konotski, Private Feodore Sock, 308 00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: Private Thomas C. Johnson, Private Michael Sacina, Private Patrick Donohue, 309 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:39,160 Speaker 1: and Private George Wills, and all of those men were 310 00:17:39,160 --> 00:17:42,520 Speaker 1: active participants in the fight against the machine gunners and 311 00:17:42,560 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 1: the capture of the German prisoners. The fact that York 312 00:17:45,880 --> 00:17:48,959 Speaker 1: got all of the credit led to ongoing animosity from 313 00:17:49,040 --> 00:17:51,600 Speaker 1: some of the other men, including in the case of 314 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: Otis B. Marrithew, a massive campaign making the claim that he, 315 00:17:55,359 --> 00:17:57,399 Speaker 1: and not York, had been the one to take command 316 00:17:57,400 --> 00:18:00,200 Speaker 1: and save the day. So the fact that these other 317 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: men were left completely out of the discussion was a 318 00:18:02,880 --> 00:18:06,240 Speaker 1: huge disservice to them, and it gave York a lot 319 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: of notoriety that he never asked for and didn't particularly want. 320 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: And we will talk about York's life after the war 321 00:18:13,359 --> 00:18:16,160 Speaker 1: and how that played into it. After another quick sponsor 322 00:18:16,200 --> 00:18:26,360 Speaker 1: break in February of nineteen nineteen, Alvin York went back 323 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: to the site of the events of October eighth of 324 00:18:28,880 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: the prior year as part of an inquiry to determine 325 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:34,360 Speaker 1: whether he should be awarded the Medal of Honor. He 326 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: was asked, York, how did you do it? And he answered, sir, 327 00:18:38,280 --> 00:18:42,200 Speaker 1: it is not manpower. A higher power than manpower guided 328 00:18:42,280 --> 00:18:44,359 Speaker 1: and watched over me and told me what to do, 329 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: and that idea underpinned his entire life from this point. 330 00:18:49,520 --> 00:18:52,800 Speaker 1: He didn't want to really take credit for what had 331 00:18:52,840 --> 00:18:56,160 Speaker 1: happened or focus on the war, but by the time 332 00:18:56,240 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: York returned to the US on May twenty He was famous, 333 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:05,040 Speaker 1: largely thanks to that Saturday Evening Post article. He was 334 00:19:05,080 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: welcomed as a national hero and greeted with ticker tape parades, 335 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: and the press was eager to report on what he 336 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:14,080 Speaker 1: had done. He had rooms at the Waldorf Astoria thanks 337 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: to the Tennessee Society of New York, and he saw 338 00:19:16,840 --> 00:19:21,639 Speaker 1: plays on Broadway. Almost immediately, film producers began contacting him 339 00:19:21,680 --> 00:19:24,320 Speaker 1: about making a movie and trying to convince him to 340 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:27,560 Speaker 1: sell the rights to his story. He got offers for 341 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:31,439 Speaker 1: book deals and vaudeville tours as well, but he really 342 00:19:31,640 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 1: was not comfortable with this. Although he had reconciled himself 343 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:38,600 Speaker 1: to his military service, he still didn't think what he 344 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,480 Speaker 1: had done should be glorified. He thought he had done 345 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:43,919 Speaker 1: what needed to be done and that he should not 346 00:19:44,040 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: become famous for it. And then once he realized that 347 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: he was famous for it, whether he wanted to be 348 00:19:49,760 --> 00:19:52,520 Speaker 1: or not, he didn't think he should exploit that fame 349 00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: for his own personal gain. Even his letters home during 350 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,119 Speaker 1: this time don't talk about things like earning the Medal 351 00:19:59,160 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: of Honor. They really focus on whatever was happening in 352 00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:06,680 Speaker 1: pal Maw, York. Was discharged from the army on May nine, nineteen, 353 00:20:06,880 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: and he married Gracie Williams on June seven. Even the 354 00:20:10,560 --> 00:20:15,199 Speaker 1: wedding was affected by his newfound fame, Tennessee Governor Albert H. 355 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:18,640 Speaker 1: Roberts traveled to pal mall to act as efficient alongside 356 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:22,679 Speaker 1: pastor Pile. There were about five thousand onlookers at this 357 00:20:22,760 --> 00:20:25,480 Speaker 1: wedding as well, and the couple decided to get married 358 00:20:25,560 --> 00:20:28,399 Speaker 1: outside on a rock ledge in the mountains so that 359 00:20:28,480 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: everybody who wanted to could see it. York got a 360 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,480 Speaker 1: lot of offers of money and endorsement deals, and he 361 00:20:35,560 --> 00:20:39,240 Speaker 1: turned them all down. The only gift that he accepted 362 00:20:39,320 --> 00:20:42,000 Speaker 1: was a farm, which the Rotary Club had told him 363 00:20:42,000 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: would be his free and clear, but they didn't actually 364 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:48,120 Speaker 1: get the donations they were hoping for to be able 365 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,600 Speaker 1: to do that, and York wound up on the hook 366 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: for roughly twenty five thousand dollars, about ten thousand dollars 367 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: for the land itself, which the Rotary Club had bought 368 00:20:57,320 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: but still owed all that money on, and about five 369 00:21:00,080 --> 00:21:03,160 Speaker 1: teen thousand dollars to build a house on it. This 370 00:21:03,240 --> 00:21:06,439 Speaker 1: was a serious financial problem that was more money than 371 00:21:06,520 --> 00:21:08,480 Speaker 1: York would be able to earn. From the farm in 372 00:21:08,520 --> 00:21:12,000 Speaker 1: a lifetime, and his words spread about it, and efforts 373 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: started in Congress to have York designated a retired army officer, 374 00:21:15,760 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: which would entitle him to pay and benefits. That effort 375 00:21:19,880 --> 00:21:22,119 Speaker 1: dragged on for decades, but the debt on the farm 376 00:21:22,200 --> 00:21:26,919 Speaker 1: was actually paid off in nine after additional fundraising. Almost 377 00:21:26,920 --> 00:21:30,920 Speaker 1: immediately after his return home, Alvin York focused extensively on 378 00:21:30,920 --> 00:21:35,040 Speaker 1: one goal, providing educational opportunities for the people of pal 379 00:21:35,160 --> 00:21:38,640 Speaker 1: Mall and Fentress County. As we said earlier, this part 380 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,240 Speaker 1: of the state was extremely impoverished. It was very isolated. 381 00:21:42,359 --> 00:21:44,840 Speaker 1: Most of the rural counties in this part of Tennessee 382 00:21:44,920 --> 00:21:48,240 Speaker 1: were so poor that there just weren't enough tax revenues 383 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,720 Speaker 1: to fund a school. Fentress County had no high school 384 00:21:51,800 --> 00:21:54,760 Speaker 1: at all when York got out of the service. But 385 00:21:54,920 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: York's time in the Army had significantly broadened his horizons 386 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: and his view of the world, and he realized that 387 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,439 Speaker 1: his lack of education was a huge detriment. He wanted 388 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:08,199 Speaker 1: the children living in Fentriss County to have quote liberating 389 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:13,560 Speaker 1: influences and educational advantages which were denied me. In his words, 390 00:22:13,600 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: I was called to lead my people toward a sensible 391 00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:21,360 Speaker 1: modern education. Soon after returning home, he founded the nonprofit 392 00:22:21,400 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: Alvin C. York Foundation. York personally raised about fifteen thousand dollars, 393 00:22:27,600 --> 00:22:30,400 Speaker 1: and the state of Tennessee and Fentriss County each contributed 394 00:22:30,440 --> 00:22:34,439 Speaker 1: about fifty thousand dollars towards starting a school. Along with 395 00:22:34,560 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 1: other fundraising efforts. The result was a vocational school called 396 00:22:38,160 --> 00:22:42,080 Speaker 1: the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute. They broke ground on 397 00:22:42,119 --> 00:22:44,959 Speaker 1: the school on May eighth, ninety six, and they started 398 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,119 Speaker 1: holding classes in nineteen nine. The school was built in 399 00:22:48,160 --> 00:22:51,120 Speaker 1: the county seat of Jamestown in Fentriss County, not far 400 00:22:51,160 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: away from pal Mall running concurrently with the creation of 401 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: the school. Was another obstacle. There were no paved roads 402 00:22:58,200 --> 00:23:01,120 Speaker 1: in Fentriss County, which would make it difficult too impossible 403 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 1: for some students to even reach the school. So York 404 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:07,320 Speaker 1: went to the state capital of Nashville to convince the 405 00:23:07,400 --> 00:23:10,439 Speaker 1: Highway Commissioner to build a highway, and the result of 406 00:23:10,440 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: that effort was a thirty two mile it's about fifty 407 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: two kilometers highway across the county that's now known as 408 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:21,400 Speaker 1: the Alvincy York Memorial Highway, then again using his own 409 00:23:21,480 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: money and money he personally raised, York bought school buses 410 00:23:25,160 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: and hired bus drivers to drive them. And throughout all 411 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:32,280 Speaker 1: of this, York was actually teaching himself. He was teaching 412 00:23:32,320 --> 00:23:35,760 Speaker 1: himself to be an educator, an administrator, and a public speaker. 413 00:23:36,680 --> 00:23:39,080 Speaker 1: Arthur S. Bushing, who was from New York but had 414 00:23:39,119 --> 00:23:42,520 Speaker 1: married a woman from Fentriss County, acted as York's tutor 415 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,359 Speaker 1: and speech writer and traveled with him as he tried 416 00:23:45,400 --> 00:23:50,040 Speaker 1: to raise funds. York was also encountering heavy resistance to 417 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:53,000 Speaker 1: what he was doing. This was happening basically at the 418 00:23:53,040 --> 00:23:55,959 Speaker 1: same time as the Scopes trial that we've talked about before, 419 00:23:56,160 --> 00:23:59,879 Speaker 1: and there was an ongoing standardization of education that was 420 00:24:00,080 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: causing a lot of concern and resistance in a lot 421 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 1: of places. And then everyone, specifically in Fentress County was 422 00:24:07,040 --> 00:24:11,120 Speaker 1: making a subsistence level of of living through farming. This 423 00:24:11,280 --> 00:24:14,480 Speaker 1: was only possible if their children worked on the farm 424 00:24:14,560 --> 00:24:17,680 Speaker 1: for much of the year instead of attending school. So, 425 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: in York's own words, quote, I begun to work almost 426 00:24:21,040 --> 00:24:23,280 Speaker 1: as soon as I could walk. And that was really 427 00:24:23,320 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: just the reality of life in Fentriss County. Children had 428 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:28,879 Speaker 1: to work from the minute they were able to, or 429 00:24:28,920 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: else their families simply could not survive. York also encountered 430 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 1: heavy resistance from the county's elite residents for having no 431 00:24:36,240 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 1: formal education and no training and no experience with any 432 00:24:40,040 --> 00:24:43,680 Speaker 1: of this. They thought the idea that an uneducated man 433 00:24:43,720 --> 00:24:46,480 Speaker 1: from rural Tennessee could figure out how to plan, open, 434 00:24:46,840 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: and run a school was completely ridiculous, no matter what 435 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:53,920 Speaker 1: heroism he had evidenced in the war. This resistance even 436 00:24:53,960 --> 00:24:56,720 Speaker 1: involved a legal action, with an attorney claiming that York 437 00:24:56,840 --> 00:25:00,080 Speaker 1: was trespassing and the county Board of Education serve in 438 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:05,200 Speaker 1: the school an eviction notice. But York persevered, and twice 439 00:25:05,320 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: during the Great Depression, when funding ran short on the institute, 440 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:11,919 Speaker 1: he mortgaged his home to personally pay the salaries of 441 00:25:11,960 --> 00:25:14,280 Speaker 1: the bus drivers and the teachers at the school. He 442 00:25:14,359 --> 00:25:17,600 Speaker 1: ran the school himself until nine seven, at which point 443 00:25:17,640 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: all the infighting and hostility from the Fentress County elite 444 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,720 Speaker 1: made it basically impossible for him to continue. York knew 445 00:25:24,760 --> 00:25:26,760 Speaker 1: that turning the school over to the county would be 446 00:25:26,800 --> 00:25:29,439 Speaker 1: a disaster. The county had been trying to stop him 447 00:25:29,480 --> 00:25:32,480 Speaker 1: from doing it for a decade, so he arranged for 448 00:25:32,520 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: the state to take it over, and the Tennessee legislature 449 00:25:35,359 --> 00:25:40,240 Speaker 1: became responsible for its funding and operation. Because York focused 450 00:25:40,320 --> 00:25:44,560 Speaker 1: on this institute with such single minded determination, doing so 451 00:25:44,640 --> 00:25:47,439 Speaker 1: much of it himself and educating himself in order to 452 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,239 Speaker 1: get it done, and did it in the face of 453 00:25:50,320 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: so much opposition, both he and some of his descendants 454 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,440 Speaker 1: have described it as a bigger accomplishment than the one 455 00:25:56,480 --> 00:25:59,639 Speaker 1: that earned him the Medal of Honor. Even though he 456 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:03,160 Speaker 1: wasn't running the school anymore after nineteen thirty seven, York 457 00:26:03,280 --> 00:26:08,000 Speaker 1: continued to be involved and continued to raise funds for education. Then, 458 00:26:08,040 --> 00:26:10,919 Speaker 1: as World War Two began in Europe, York finally agreed 459 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,480 Speaker 1: to sell the rights to his story to a film producer. 460 00:26:14,200 --> 00:26:16,679 Speaker 1: He made the deal with Jesse Laski, who had started 461 00:26:16,680 --> 00:26:19,240 Speaker 1: talking to him about it way back in nineteen nineteen, 462 00:26:19,800 --> 00:26:23,280 Speaker 1: and Harry Warner, president of Warner Brothers. They finalized that 463 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: deal in nineteen forty. York had really wanted this film 464 00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:29,760 Speaker 1: to be about his quest to open a school, but 465 00:26:29,960 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: as the war in Europe got worse, the producers persuaded 466 00:26:33,119 --> 00:26:36,240 Speaker 1: him to instead focus on his wartime service and to 467 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:38,960 Speaker 1: make a really patriotic film that would serve as a 468 00:26:39,000 --> 00:26:42,160 Speaker 1: message that the United States should intervene and as an 469 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:46,199 Speaker 1: inspiration to young men to serve. This might seem like 470 00:26:46,359 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: a very strange focus for a film about a man 471 00:26:48,680 --> 00:26:52,520 Speaker 1: who had felt so conflicted about his own service. Aside 472 00:26:52,520 --> 00:26:54,640 Speaker 1: from his service in World War One and the years 473 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,400 Speaker 1: of World War Two, York was a pacifist for all 474 00:26:57,440 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: of his post conversion life, and then the years after 475 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: World War One was over, he sometimes wondered whether it 476 00:27:03,359 --> 00:27:06,959 Speaker 1: had even been worth it, but he absolutely saw the 477 00:27:06,960 --> 00:27:10,920 Speaker 1: need for intervention in World War Two. He was advocating 478 00:27:10,960 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 1: for the United States to intervene against Japan in nineteen 479 00:27:14,400 --> 00:27:17,560 Speaker 1: thirty six in the face of just increasing Japanese aggression 480 00:27:17,600 --> 00:27:21,000 Speaker 1: against China, and in nineteen thirty eight he was advocating 481 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:23,879 Speaker 1: for the United States to quote knock Hitler off the block. 482 00:27:24,720 --> 00:27:28,280 Speaker 1: This was in total opposition to a widespread strain of 483 00:27:28,320 --> 00:27:31,520 Speaker 1: America First isolationism in the years leading up to Pearl 484 00:27:31,560 --> 00:27:35,960 Speaker 1: Harbor being bombed. It was a deeply unpopular stand for 485 00:27:36,040 --> 00:27:38,199 Speaker 1: York to take, and he took it knowing that it 486 00:27:38,200 --> 00:27:40,919 Speaker 1: could harm his efforts to raise money for the Institute. 487 00:27:41,320 --> 00:27:44,439 Speaker 1: The movie Sergeant York debuted in nineteen forty one, with 488 00:27:44,480 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: Gary Cooper in the starring role. That was something that 489 00:27:47,440 --> 00:27:50,760 Speaker 1: York himself had requested, and this film was a huge 490 00:27:50,800 --> 00:27:53,920 Speaker 1: financial success for Warner Brothers. It was the biggest box 491 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:57,440 Speaker 1: office hit of nineteen forty one. It also earned two 492 00:27:57,480 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: Academy Awards, one for Cooper's work as an actor and 493 00:28:01,000 --> 00:28:03,879 Speaker 1: another for film editing, and it was nominated in nine 494 00:28:03,920 --> 00:28:08,440 Speaker 1: other categories, including Best Picture and Best Director. York earned 495 00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,080 Speaker 1: about one hundred fifty thousand dollars on the film, and 496 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:13,320 Speaker 1: he put almost all of that money right into the 497 00:28:13,400 --> 00:28:17,639 Speaker 1: York Institute. When Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December seventh, 498 00:28:17,720 --> 00:28:21,680 Speaker 1: ninety one, Sergeant York was still in theaters. It had 499 00:28:21,720 --> 00:28:24,639 Speaker 1: been planned from the outset as a patriotic movie, but 500 00:28:24,720 --> 00:28:27,560 Speaker 1: it seemed even more so after the attack and after 501 00:28:27,600 --> 00:28:31,080 Speaker 1: the United States entry into the war. At the same time, 502 00:28:31,080 --> 00:28:35,120 Speaker 1: the movie was criticized as basically being wartime propaganda, and 503 00:28:35,200 --> 00:28:38,080 Speaker 1: it was played on American military basis and distributed to 504 00:28:38,120 --> 00:28:41,120 Speaker 1: all the Allies in the war. York volunteered to return 505 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,120 Speaker 1: to service during World War Two, but his age and 506 00:28:44,200 --> 00:28:48,240 Speaker 1: some health issues kept him from doing so. Instead, he 507 00:28:48,320 --> 00:28:51,239 Speaker 1: was made a major in the Army Signal Corps. He 508 00:28:51,280 --> 00:28:53,800 Speaker 1: toured the United States on behalf of the War Department, 509 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:58,240 Speaker 1: giving patriotic speeches and encouraging military service and the purchasing 510 00:28:58,240 --> 00:29:01,640 Speaker 1: of war bonds. He also served on the Selective Service 511 00:29:01,720 --> 00:29:05,080 Speaker 1: Board Infantris County and became a spokesperson for the Fight 512 00:29:05,160 --> 00:29:07,760 Speaker 1: for Freedom Committee, an organization that was formed as a 513 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:11,560 Speaker 1: counter argument to Charles Lindbergh and the America First Committee. 514 00:29:11,960 --> 00:29:13,960 Speaker 1: York had a series of strokes towards the end of 515 00:29:13,960 --> 00:29:16,800 Speaker 1: his life, including a serious one in nineteen fifty four, 516 00:29:16,920 --> 00:29:20,320 Speaker 1: after which he couldn't leave his bed. About a year later, 517 00:29:20,360 --> 00:29:22,360 Speaker 1: he wound up in a six year battle with the 518 00:29:22,360 --> 00:29:25,960 Speaker 1: I R S over unpaid taxes. Throughout his life, York 519 00:29:26,000 --> 00:29:28,080 Speaker 1: had been putting virtually all the money he got into 520 00:29:28,160 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: the institute, and he hadn't withheld money to pay taxes 521 00:29:31,160 --> 00:29:33,720 Speaker 1: on it. At one point, the I R S reported 522 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:36,360 Speaker 1: that he owed a hundred and seventy two thousand dollars. 523 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,479 Speaker 1: They eventually agreed on a twenty five thousand dollar payment. 524 00:29:40,440 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: York died of a cerebral hemorrhage on September two, nineteen 525 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:47,360 Speaker 1: sixty four, at the age of seventy six. He was 526 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:50,800 Speaker 1: survived by his wife, Gracie, and seven of their ten children. 527 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,880 Speaker 1: A statue of Alvin York was unveiled at the Tennessee 528 00:29:54,920 --> 00:29:58,320 Speaker 1: Capital on December thirteenth of nineteen sixty eight. It was 529 00:29:58,360 --> 00:30:01,800 Speaker 1: sculpted by Felix Dweldon, who also created the Marine Corps 530 00:30:01,840 --> 00:30:04,560 Speaker 1: War Memorial, also known as the U O. G Mememorial. 531 00:30:05,200 --> 00:30:08,480 Speaker 1: Alvin C. York State Park preserves the York home where 532 00:30:08,480 --> 00:30:11,080 Speaker 1: he and his family lived after World War One, and 533 00:30:11,120 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: the World War One commemorative silver dollar features a likeness 534 00:30:14,560 --> 00:30:18,200 Speaker 1: of Alvin York. He's also been commemorated on a postage stamp. 535 00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: The York Agricultural Institute still exists today as a public 536 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:26,280 Speaker 1: high school, and it was selected as Tennessee Center for 537 00:30:26,400 --> 00:30:30,200 Speaker 1: Rural Education. At one point it was scheduled for demolition, 538 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,680 Speaker 1: but ultimately it was restored as a historic site. And 539 00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:35,959 Speaker 1: that is Alvin York. Do you also have a bit 540 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,240 Speaker 1: of listener mail for us? I sure do. This is 541 00:30:39,280 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: from Rachel, and Rachel says Hi, Tracy and Holly. I'm 542 00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: a huge fan of stuff you missed. I listened to 543 00:30:43,680 --> 00:30:46,360 Speaker 1: it on my train commute every day. I just recently 544 00:30:46,400 --> 00:30:49,400 Speaker 1: listened to the Unearthed in July podcasts. I know I'm 545 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:51,640 Speaker 1: a weave it behind, and I have to say that 546 00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:55,720 Speaker 1: was easily my favorite Unearthed podcast yet, particularly the section 547 00:30:55,800 --> 00:30:59,960 Speaker 1: on games. I am an American PhD candidate. My specialty 548 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: is medieval and Renaissance games and recreation. My master's thesis 549 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,760 Speaker 1: was on medieval chess, and my doctoral thesis is an 550 00:31:07,760 --> 00:31:11,040 Speaker 1: analysis of the transitions and political and religious implications of 551 00:31:11,120 --> 00:31:14,760 Speaker 1: court leisure and the concept of play in the courts 552 00:31:14,800 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: of Mary, Queen of Scott's. I'm always delighted to hear 553 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:20,640 Speaker 1: about historic games and was thrilled to hear you talk 554 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:23,320 Speaker 1: about dice. In the course of my research, I was 555 00:31:23,360 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 1: surprised to learn that it was a common practice in 556 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:29,080 Speaker 1: medieval Western Europe to play chess with dice, which forced 557 00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: the game to move along at a faster pace and 558 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:34,760 Speaker 1: eliminated the need for strategy because the dice served to 559 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,880 Speaker 1: choose which pieces moved along the board. In addition, one 560 00:31:37,920 --> 00:31:40,840 Speaker 1: of my favorite things about games the evolution of the 561 00:31:40,880 --> 00:31:43,800 Speaker 1: pieces and boards as they made their way across the globe. 562 00:31:44,320 --> 00:31:47,640 Speaker 1: As chess moved from India to Western Europe. The original 563 00:31:47,680 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: Indian pieces of a chariot and an elephant became the 564 00:31:50,560 --> 00:31:53,479 Speaker 1: rook and bishop that we have on modern boards. If 565 00:31:53,480 --> 00:31:55,960 Speaker 1: you'd like a fabulous book about the evolution of chess, 566 00:31:55,960 --> 00:31:59,200 Speaker 1: I'd recommend H. J. R. Murray's A History of Chess, 567 00:31:59,360 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: and much more manageably in terms of page numbers, Maryland 568 00:32:02,640 --> 00:32:05,880 Speaker 1: Yalom's Birth of the Chess Queen. That's one of my favorites. 569 00:32:06,200 --> 00:32:07,880 Speaker 1: I have attashed an image of a drawing I have 570 00:32:07,960 --> 00:32:10,920 Speaker 1: in my office, uh, and that is a picture of 571 00:32:10,960 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: some games. It's very lovely. My apologies for the port 572 00:32:13,840 --> 00:32:17,440 Speaker 1: image quality minus off being framed, so a screenshot of 573 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:20,200 Speaker 1: it will have to suffice. Best wishes, Rachel. Thank you 574 00:32:20,360 --> 00:32:24,840 Speaker 1: so much, Rachel for that tidbit about games, uh, and 575 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,800 Speaker 1: for enjoying the unearthed episodes. I enjoy putting those together. 576 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:29,720 Speaker 1: If you would like to write to us about this 577 00:32:29,840 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: or any other podcast, where at History podcast at how 578 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,880 Speaker 1: stuff Works dot com. We're also all over social media. 579 00:32:34,920 --> 00:32:37,960 Speaker 1: I missed in History and you can come to our 580 00:32:37,960 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: website which is missing history dot com and you will 581 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:41,680 Speaker 1: find show notes for all the episodes Holly and I 582 00:32:41,720 --> 00:32:44,560 Speaker 1: have ever worked on. Together, as well as a searchable 583 00:32:44,680 --> 00:32:47,000 Speaker 1: archive of every episode ever. And you can find a 584 00:32:47,040 --> 00:32:50,080 Speaker 1: subscribe to our show on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, so 585 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:57,200 Speaker 1: wherever else you get your podcasts. For more on this 586 00:32:57,360 --> 00:32:59,720 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics, is it How stuff work? 587 00:32:59,720 --> 00:33:00,280 Speaker 1: Staff come