The Real Sergeant York

New American ^ | January 5, 1998 | Thomas A. Burzynski

[MinuteGal]

He doesn't look much like Gary Cooper. Douglas Fairbanks Jr. would have been more of a match. But then, I guess the very British Fairbanks would have had a little problem with the Tennessee drawl, LOL.

Good thing there's no remake of the York movie in the works. CBS chief, Leslie Moonbeam, would have a great opportunity to sign up Mr. Streisand as Sgt. York, yet again casting an idiot as an American hero.

Leni

[AngryJawa]

Amazing stuff...six hits in the ol' "-0" zone on moving targets at thirty yards while under extreme duress. God was at work there, no question.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I agree. I give her a lot of credit for enlisting, but the same goes for almost every GI. Other than that, her main accomplishment was getting in a car-wreck during a firefight.

[in the Arena]

The American government, through the Internal Revenue Service, repaid its debt by suing York for back taxes.

That pisses me off to no end...

[LittleJoe]

Amazing stuff...six hits in the ol' "-0" zone on moving targets at thirty yards while under extreme duress. God was at work there, no question.

Yeah, hard to believe it was just luck!

[wheelgunguru]

I lived there for several years. Did they ever get his picture back on his headstone? The last time I was there, a tourist had stolen it (the picture).

[maxwellp]

If Alvin York was alive today and the IRS pulled that stunt on him, thanks to the Internet, FR, Rush, etc., patriotic Americans would scream so loud, the IRS would be forced to leave him alone. Just like we're protecting President Reagan now and it looks like we're doing a pretty good job -CBS wants to unload the mini-series.

[wheelgunguru]

BTW, his son is the park ranger that oversees tourists to the (York) grist mill in Jamestown.

They named the High School after York, the elementary school, the grist mill, the veteran's hospital, and I think they even named the peppermint patty after him.

(Well, maybe not the peppermint patty.)

[Portnoy]

I don't remember seeing any photo

[wheelgunguru]

Did you see a photo on his wife's grave? Hers was still there (1996).

[sgtbono2002]

Yup: They touch folks like Alvin York , but they lay a wide course around folks like Jesse Jackson.

[Doctor Stochastic]

The IRS did go after Joe Louis, however.

[El Gato]

By 1961, Alvin York, one of America’s greatest military heroes, was partially paralyzed, almost completely blind, and virtually penniless. The American government, through the Internal Revenue Service, repaid its debt by suing York for back taxes.

Blood sucking leaches. You notice though that they waited until he was "..paralyzed, almost completely blind", before going after him. Would have been interesting if he'd brought home a few "war trophies" and the IRS had sent the forerunner of the BATFE after him for failure to register them, wouldn't it?

[neverdem]

The 369th Infantry Regiment was assigned to the French Army because of racism. Combat for them started in April, 1918. The History Channel did a show on them. Here's a link:

http://www.newcommunity.org/clarion/apr98/articles/p8-1.html

[neverdem]

Thanks for posting this. You made my eyes water.

[cwb]

Thanks. Actually I got the May information from the History channel as well. I'll update my notes from 6 months to 7...still a very short time for all the hub-bub about the "Great War." Some of these guys spent more time in war-games than war itself.

[Leroy S. Mort]

CBS chief, Leslie Moonbeam, would have a great opportunity to sign up Mr. Streisand as Sgt. York, yet again casting an idiot as an American hero.

I'm thinking Tom Selleck (but he'd have to work on his annoying lisp...).

[Leroy S. Mort]

Douglas Fairbanks Jr. would have been more of a match. But then, I guess the very British Fairbanks would have had a little problem with the Tennessee drawl, LOL.

Just in case it comes up in a Trivia game - Doug Fairbanks was born in New York City. ;-)

[11Bush]

They were known as revenuers (sp) and going into the hills after moonshiners was a dangerous thing.

Too bad times have changed.

[archy]

Sergeant Alvin York came back into the public spotlight during WWII long enough to greet a fellow Volunteer State veteran who had also managed a pretty fair little feat of arms, if perhaps of a different sort of marksmanship than York had exhibited:

Ft. Oglethorpe, Georgia: Tennessee's two great war heroes, Sgt Alvin York (far right)
and S/Sgt Paul Huff. S/Sgt Huff preferred the Thompson submachinegun and Alvin
York the Springfield rifle.

The President of the United States
in the name of The Congress
takes pleasure in presenting the
Medal of Honor to

HUFF, PAUL B.

Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Place and date: Near Carano, Italy, 8 February 1944. Entered service at: Cleveland, Tenn. Birth: Cleveland, Tenn. G.O. No: 41, 26 May 1944.

Citation:
For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty, in action on 8 February 1944, near Carano, Italy. Cpl. Huff volunteered to lead a 6-man patrol with the mission of determining the location and strength of an enemy unit which was delivering fire on the exposed right flank of his company. The terrain over which he had to travel consisted of exposed, rolling ground, affording the enemy excellent visibility. As the patrol advanced, its members were subjected to small arms and machinegun fire and a concentration of mortar fire, shells bursting within 5 to 10 yards of them and bullets striking the ground at their feet. Moving ahead of his patrol, Cpl. Huff drew fire from 3 enemy machineguns and a 20mm. weapon. Realizing the danger confronting his patrol, he advanced alone under deadly fire through a minefield and arrived at a point within 75 yards of the nearest machinegun position. Under direct fire from the rear machinegun, he crawled the remaining 75 yards to the closest emplacement, killed the crew with his submachine gun and destroyed the gun. During this act he fired from a kneeling position which drew fire from other positions, enabling him to estimate correctly the strength and location of the enemy. Still under concentrated fire, he returned to his patrol and led his men to safety. As a result of the information he gained, a patrol in strength sent out that afternoon, 1 group under the leadership of Cpl. Huff, succeeded in routing an enemy company of 125 men, killing 27 Germans and capturing 21 others, with a loss of only 3 patrol members. Cpl. Huff's intrepid leadership and daring combat skill reflect the finest traditions of the American infantryman.