Biography for
Alvin C. York More at IMDbPro »

Date of Birth

13 December 1887, Pall Mall, Tennessee, USA

Date of Death

2 September 1964, Nashville, Tennessee, USA

Mini Biography

Alvin Cullum York was born in rural Pall Mall, Tennessee on December 13, 1887. Raised in the rural mountains, he learned to shoot guns when he was just a boy, becoming an expert with both a pistol and rifle before his teens. Under the influence of his high school girlfriend, and his future wife, Gracie Williams, he also became a devout born-again Christian and gave up drinking, smoking, gambling and bare-knuckle fighting that marked his early days. When the USA declared war on Germany which officially marked America's entry into World War I in April 1917, York was drafted into the US Army where he sought exemption as a conscientious objector, but was turned down. Inducted into the 328th Infantry Regiment on November 24, 1917, he distinguished himself in basic training until he was ordered to shoot at human forms on the target range. After days of soul-searching, York reconciled himself to military service and completed his training and his unit sailed to France the following spring. Alvin York's regiment was assigned to the Meuse-Argonne salient during the final great Allied offensive from September to the war's end on November 11, 1918. On October 8, 1918, York, then a corporal, was part of a company to attack a heavily guarded hill near Chatel-Chehery. Pinned down by heavy machine-gun fire, York joined a squad of 17 men to outflank the German position from the rear of the hill. After capturing 20 German soldiers, the Americans were discovered and fired on by some of the Germans in the trenches. Within minutes the squad was down to seven unwounded men, York included. York took his rifle and worked his way to a point where, as a sniper, he picked off 17 Geman soldiers and then shot eight more with his pistol. Afterwards, the demoralized Germans had enough and surrendered to the lone Corporal York: 112 prisoners, totaling 132. Alvin York managed to work his way with his squad and the 132 prisoners through the bombed-out wasteland and to headquarters of the 328th Regiment. Alvin York was promoted to sergeant and awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for his amazing feat. At the end of the war, he returned to Tennessee in 1919, married Gracie Williams and settled on a farm presented to him by his home state. The modest hero turned down many offers for endorsements claiming "this uniform ain't for sale," and used the proceeds from the book and movie of his life to establish schools for poor mountain children. During World War II York served on the Tennessee draft board and was a Colonel in the Tennessee State Guard and commanded the 7th Regiment of the Tennessee State Guard. Alvin York died in his home in Nashville, Tennessee on September 2, 1964.

IMDb Mini Biography By: Matthew Patay

Spouse

Gracie Williams

(7 June 1919 - 2 September 1964) (his death) 7 children

Trivia

Highest decorated soldier of World War I.

Single-handedly killed 20 German soldiers and captured 132 others during an infantry attack on a German position near the Argonne Forest, France in October 1918 during World War I.

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