Alvin Cullum York was born on December 13, 1887 in the Valley of the Three Forks of the Wolf, in Pall Mall, Tennessee. A young Alvin was known for his drinking and rowdiness and for his run-ins with the local sheriff. For years his mother prayed and begged Alvin to settle down, and her prayers were finally answered when Alvin joined the local church on January 1, 1915.
Alvin became interested in 16-year old Gracie Williams but World War I put their romance on hold. In November 1917 entered the Unites States Army and eventually found himself in Germany. It was here on October 8, 1918 during the battle of the Argonne that Alvin York nearly single-handedly, captured 132-German Prisoners and kill almost 30 of the enemy. For his actions York was promoted to Sergeant and received the Distinguished Service Cross, the French Croix de Guerre, the French Legion of Honor, the Croce di Guerra of Italy, the War Medal of Montenegro and the Congressional U.S. Medal of Honor. Sergeant York became an overnight hero but never wavered in his desire to return to the Valley of the Three Forks and his beloved Gracie. In 1919 Sergeant Alvin C. York return to Pall Mall and on June 7, 1919 the Governor of Tennessee married him and Gracie William. The Nashville Rotary Club presented the York’s with a new home and 400-acres of prime bottomland.
In 1929 Sergeant York started the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute, which he gave to the state in 1937 and is still functioning today educating the children of the Wolf River Valley.
In 1940 Hollywood Producer Jesse Lasky, call to Tennessee determined to make the Story of Sergeant York into a Movie and in 1941 with Garry Cooper Playing the title role, “Sgt. York” hit the big screen.
Eventually, the world began to turn to other heroes. And with tension appearing again in Europe, York found himself only aging, his past fading away. He decided to stay home, quietly farming, his aim being to minister to those who came to see him, not trying to go to them.
During the 1950’s, Sergeant York suffered several small strokes, but remained for several more years. In 1954, York suffered a cerebral hemorrhage and spent the rest of his life paralyzed from the waist down. Until his death in 1964, York still talked to visitors, as he was able and played with his grandchildren from his bed. On September 2, 1964 the Hero of World War I died at the Veterans Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Alvin C. York was buried in the Wolf River Church Cemetery in Pall Mall. (
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