Monument Details

Sergeant Alvin C. York Memorial

Details:

The monument is at the steps of the town hall.

Monument

This memorial is dedicated to WWI hero, Sergeant Alvin C. York, who built his reputation in Argonne, France. On October 8th, 1918, Sergeant York and 17 fellow soldiers were given the mission to take command of the Decauville railroad. The soldiers misread their map (which was in French, not English) and accidentally ended up behind German lines. A brief skirmish occurred causing confusion, as well as the unexpected surrender of a more significant German force to the 17 Americans. After the Germans realized their superior numbers, German machine gunners on the hill took turned their attention away from their front and on to their own troops. The German machine gunners ordered their fellow soldiers to lie down and opened fire, killing 9 Americans. During the attack, York was ordered to silence the machine gun, which was a successful maneuver. He led the remaining few Americans in the capture of 132 German prisoners.

The monument itself is a rectangular black stone memorial. There is a bronze plaque containing text.

Monument Text:

1887 SERGEANT ALVIN C. YORK 1964

On October 8, 1918 at what has become known as Mont York located one kilometer to the west' Alvin C. York, a native of Tennessee serving with the United States 82nd Division, armed with his rifle and pistol, his courage and skill, silenced a German battalion of 35 machine guns, killing 25 enemy soldiers and capturing 132. According to Marshall Ferdinand Foch, Commander-in-Chief of the allied armies, this was the "greatest thing accomplished by any Private soldier of all the armies of Europe".

On the occasion of the centennial of his birth, Tennessee remembers her heroic native son. Erected in 1987 by eh Tennessee Historical Commission with the generous support of the Rotary Club of Nashville, Tennessee.

Le 8 octobre 1918, a l'endroit appele par la suite Mont York, situe a un kilometre a l'ouest de ce lieu, Alvin C. York, iriginaire du Tennessee, membre de la 82eme Division Americaine, arme d'un fusil et d'un pistolet, grace a son courage et a son habilete, a reduit au silence un bataillon allemand de 35 mitrailleuses tuant 25 soldats ennemis et en capturant 132. Selon le Marechal Foch, Commandant-en-Chef des armees alliees, ce fut "le plus grand exploit jamais realise par un simple soldat de toutes les armees en Europe.

A l'occasion du centieme annniversaire de sa naissance, l'etat du Tennessee se souvient de son 'fils' heroique.

Commemorates:

People:

Alvin C. York

Units:

328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Division

United States Army

Wars:

WWI