On This Date October 8,1918- Sgt. Alvin York’s heroism

October 8, 1918 – During World War I, Alvin York was one of many thousands of American
soldiers fighting on the French front. York himself attacked the German’s machine gun position.
With exceptional marksmanship he killed at least 25 enemy soldiers in the battle, including
shooting dead six Germans with a pistol who rushed at him with bayonets after his rifle ran out
of ammo. The German officer in charge of the position tried to kill him but ran out of ammunition
himself, offering then to surrender his unit. York returned to post with 132 prisoners. His actions
made him an instant hero and earned him an immediate promotion. He was later awarded the
Medal of Honor for his actions.