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Sergeant Alvin C. York State Historic Park

City: Pall Mall, TN
Region: Middle Tennessee
Subregion: Upper Cumberland

The Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park, located in Pall Mall, Tennessee, pays tribute to Sgt. Alvin C. York, the backwoods marksman from the mountains of Tennessee who became one of the most decorated soldiers of World War I. York's fame rose from his legendary exploits on October 8, 1918 in the Argonne Forest in France. Leading a small patrol, York was sent out to eliminate flanking machine gun fire that was halting the advance of his regiment. York found himself alone opposing a German machine gun unit. With rifle and pistol he engaged the enemy.

The fight ended with more than twenty Germans dead. Then, the other one hundred and thirty-two soldiers, including four officers and thirty-five machine guns, became discouraged and surrendered to York and six of his comrades. For that he was decorated with a dozen medals, including the Medal of Honor and the French Croix de Guerre. He has been honored by a 10-foot statue on the grounds of the State Capitol in Nashville, and his medals and trophies may be seen at the Tennessee State Museum.

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