Alvin York
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient (1887-1964) · United States · On the map · Died at 76
Alvin Cullum York, also known by his rank as Sergeant York, was an American soldier who was one of the most decorated United States Army soldiers of World War I.
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A typical day, 30 days to 1 November 2026
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Conscientious Objector Claim of Appeal for Alvin Cullum York (1917)
328th Infantry Regiment line of advance in capture of Hill 223, October 7, 1918, 82nd Division, Argonne Forest, France. (World War I Signal Corps Collection)
Sergeant Alvin C. York by Frank Schoonover, 1919
Sergeant Alvin C. York at the hill where his actions earned him the Medal of Honor (February 7, 1919)![U.S. Army Sergeant Alvin C. York after his return to his Tennessee home: His mother is pouring water into the basin, and his younger sister is standing on the cabin's back porch. York turned down many lucrative offers, including one worth $30,000 (equivalent to $557,000 in 2025) to appear in vaudeville, to return to the life he had known before the war.[29]](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c6/Alvin_York_returns_home_1919.jpg/500px-Alvin_York_returns_home_1919.jpg)
U.S. Army Sergeant Alvin C. York after his return to his Tennessee home: His mother is pouring water into the basin, and his younger sister is standing on the cabin's back porch. York turned down many lucrative offers, including one worth $30,000 (equivalent to $557,000 in 2025) to appear in vaudeville, to return to the life he had known before the war.[29]
Alvin C. York after World War I
1919 newspaper coverage of Alvin York (left) with his mother and his wife, Gracie WilliamsAwards
About this person
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. York's Medal of Honor action occurred during the United States-led portion of the Meuse-Argonne offensive in France, in which he intended to breach the Hindenburg line and force the Germans to surrender. He earned decorations from several Allied countries during the war, including France, Italy, and Montenegro.
