The Real Sergeant York

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

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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.

[Held_to_Ransom]

In all, the IRS claimed York owed the U.S. government $85,442, plus an additional $87,155 in interest.

They might have gotten it too off his estate. An interesting question.

In the movie, the York character decides that it's right to fight a war to end all war. In real life, it would seem Alvin was moved to try and not profit off the fame the war brought him. No doubt a feeling that was only intensified with the continuation of war up and through World War II.

In December of 1918, the Literary Digest noted the 'if all the men killed in the war on all sides were to march down Fifth Avenue twenty abreast, from sunup to sundown every day, it would take four months for them to pass in review.'

Lucky for the politicians and world leaders they never could.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

Alvin York was a man of great Christian faith. My wife, her father, our daughter and I visited York's farm not long ago and enjoyed seeing his house, the farm, his and his family's graves and a movie about him. We went inside his house and walked around his place and even wobbled in fun atop a great (pretty high) swinging bridge (if you go to York's home, don't miss a chance to bounce on the bridge - my grown daughter thought it the highlight of the trip) suspended across the creek on a trail to and from the old farm.

While near the old mill on that warm Sunday afternoon, we witnessed a moving river baptism of newly saved Christians with many of their fellow churchgoers watching. The entire experience was real life in wonderful place. It was, I'm sure much as it was when Alvin York last lived there. It was memorable and I know Sgt. York would have smiled at our experiences visiting the beautiful valley he called home.