![]() William York and Mary Brooks married on December 25, 1881, and had eleven children: Henry Singleton, Joseph Marion, Alvin Cullum, Samuel John, Albert, Hattie, George Alexander, James Preston, Lillian Mae, Robert Daniel, and Lucy Erma. Harrington after deserting from Company A of the 11th Michigan Cavalry Regiment during the American Civil War, and Nancy Pyle, and was the great-granddaughter of Conrad "Coonrod" Pyle, an English settler who settled Pall Mall, Tennessee. Mary Elizabeth York was born in Pall Mall to William Brooks, who took his mother's maiden name as an alias of William H. William Uriah York was born in Jamestown, Tennessee, to Uriah York and Eliza Jane Livingston, who had moved to Tennessee from Buncombe County, North Carolina. ![]() He was the third child born to William Uriah York and Mary Elizabeth (Brooks) York. He died in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1964 and was buried at Wolf River Cemetery in his hometown of Pall Mall, Tennessee.Īlvin Cullum York was born in a two-room log cabin in Fentress County, Tennessee. In his later years, York was confined to bed by health problems. A 1941 film about his World War I exploits, Sergeant York, was that year's highest-grossing film Gary Cooper won the Academy Award for Best Actor for his portrayal of York, and the film was credited with enhancing American morale as the US mobilized for action in World War II. In the 1930s and 1940s, York worked as a project superintendent for the Civilian Conservation Corps and managed construction of the Byrd Lake reservoir at Cumberland Mountain State Park, after which he served for several years as park superintendent. He later formed a charitable foundation to improve educational opportunities for children in rural Tennessee. York's feat made him a national hero and international celebrity among allied nations.Īfter Armistice Day, a group of Tennessee businessmen purchased a farm for York, his new wife, and their growing family. An investigation resulted in the upgrading of the award to the Medal of Honor. York was later promoted to sergeant and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. York and his men marched back to their unit's command post with more than 130 prisoners. This officer then offered to surrender and York accepted. The German officer responsible for the machine gun position had emptied his pistol while firing at York but failed to hit him. York and the other Americans attacked the machine gun position, killing several German soldiers. Several of the Americans returned fire while others guarded the prisoners. After the American patrol had captured a large group of enemy soldiers, German small arms fire killed six Americans and wounded three. In October 1918, Private First Class (Acting Corporal) York was one of a group of seventeen soldiers assigned to infiltrate German lines and silence a machine gun position. Persuaded that his religion was not incompatible with military service, York joined the 82nd Division as an infantry private and went to France in 1918. York was drafted during World War I he initially claimed conscientious objector status on the grounds that his religious denomination forbade violence. After a 1914 conversion experience, he vowed to improve and became even more devoted to the Church of Christ in Christian Union. Despite being a regular churchgoer, York also drank heavily and was prone to fistfights. After the death of his father, York assisted in caring for his younger siblings and found work as a blacksmith. The eleven York children had minimal schooling because they helped provide for the family, including hunting, fishing, and working as laborers. His parents farmed, and his father worked as a blacksmith. York was born in rural Tennessee, in what is now the community of Pall Mall in Fentress County. He earned decorations from several allied countries during WWI, including France, Italy and Montenegro. York's Medal of Honor action occurred during the United States-led portion of the Meuse–Argonne offensive in France, which was intended to breach the Hindenburg line and force the Germans to surrender. He received the Medal of Honor for leading an attack on a German machine gun nest, gathering 35 machine guns, killing at least 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132 prisoners. Superintendent of the Cumberland Mountain State ParkĪlvin Cullum York (December 13, 1887 – September 2, 1964), also known as Sergeant York, was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I.
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