Biography of Alvin C. York, Hero of World War I

Alvin C. York (born Alvin Cullum York; December 13, 1887–September 2, 1964) was one of the U.S. Armys most notable heroes during World War I. York received the Medal of Honor for his actions on October 8, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In the course of an attack, he led a small group that captured more than 130 prisoners and he single-handedly eliminated multiple German machine guns and their crews. After the war, his life was brought to the big screen by Gary Cooper in the award-winning film Sergeant York. Fast Facts: Alvin C. York Known for: Pacifist hero in World War I, movie about his life in 1940.Birth: December 13, 1887 in Pall Mall, TennesseeParents: William and Mary YorkDeath: September 2, 1964 in Pall Mall, TennesseeSpouse: Gracie WilliamsChildren: 10, eight of whom survived infancy Early Life Alvin Cullum York was born December 13, 1887, to William and Mary York of rural Pall Mall, Tennessee. The third of 11 children, York grew up in a small two-room cabin and received minimal schooling as a child due to a need to aid his father in running the family farm and hunting for food. Though his formal education was lacking, he learned to be a crack shot and an adept woodsman. In the wake of his fathers death in 1911, York, as the eldest still living in the area, was forced to aid his mother in raising his younger siblings. To support the family, he began working in railroad construction and as a logger in Harriman, Tennessee. A hard worker, York showed a devotion to promoting the welfare of his family. Trouble and Spiritual Conversion During this period, York became a heavy drinker and was frequently involved in bar fights. Despite pleas from his mother to improve his behavior, York persisted in drinking. This continued until the winter of 1914, when his friend Everett Delk was beaten to death during a brawl in nearby Static, Kentucky. Shaken by this incident, York attended a revival meeting led by H.H. Russell during which he concluded that he needed to change his ways or risk suffering a fate similar to Delk. Altering his behavior, he became a member of the Church of Christ in Christian Union. A strict fundamentalist sect, the church forbade violence and preached a strict moral code that forbade drinking, dancing, and many forms of popular culture. An active member of the congregation, York met his future wife, Gracie Williams, through the church while also teaching Sunday school and singing in the choir. World War I and Moral Confusion With the United States entry into World War I in April 1917, York became concerned that he would be required to serve. These worries became reality when he received his draft registration notice. Consulting with his pastor, he was advised to seek conscientious objector status. On June 5, York registered for the draft as required by law, but wrote on his draft card, Dont want to fight. When his case was reviewed by local and state draft authorities, his request was denied as his church was not a recognized Christian sect. In addition, during this period conscientious objectors were still drafted and typically assigned non-combat roles. In November, York was drafted into the U.S. Army, and though his conscientious objector status was considered, he was sent to basic training. A Change of Heart Now 30 years old, York was assigned to Company G, 328th Infantry Regiment, 82nd Infantry Division and posted to Camp Gordon in Georgia. Arriving, he proved a crack shot but was seen as an oddity because he did not wish to fight. During this time, he had extensive conversations with his company commander, Captain Edward C.B. Danforth, and his battalion commander, Major G. Edward Buxton, relating to the Biblical justification for war. A devout Christian, Buxton cited a variety of Biblical sources to counter his subordinates concerns. Challenging Yorks pacifist stance, the two officers were able to convince the reluctant soldier that war could be justified.  Following a 10-day leave to visit home, York returned with a firm belief that God meant for him to fight. In France Traveling to Boston, Yorks unit sailed for Le Havre, France in May 1918 and arrived later that month after a stop in Britain. Reaching the Continent, Yorks division spent time along the Somme as well as at Toul, Lagney, and Marbache, where they underwent a variety of training to prepare them for combat operations along the Western Front. Promoted to corporal, York took part in the St. Mihiel offensive that September as the 82nd sought to protect the US First Armys right flank. With the successful conclusion of fighting in that sector, the 82nd shifted northward to take part in the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Entering the fighting on October 7 to relieve units of the 28th Infantry Division, Yorks unit received orders that night to advance the next morning to take Hill 223 and press on to sever the Decauville Railroad north of Chatel-Chehery. Advancing around 6 a.m. the next morning, the Americans succeeded in taking the hill. A Tough Assignment Moving forward from the hill, Yorks unit was forced to attack through a triangular valley and quickly came under German machine-gun fire on several sides from the adjacent hills. This stalled the attack as the Americans began taking heavy casualties. In an effort to eliminate the machine guns, 17 men led by Sergeant Bernard Early, including York, were ordered to work around into the German rear. Taking advantage of the brush and hilly nature of the terrain, these troops succeeded in slipping behind the German lines and advanced up one of the hills opposite the American advance. In doing so, they overran and captured a German headquarters area and secured a large number of prisoners including a major. While Earlys men began securing the prisoners, the German machine gunners up the slope turned several of their guns and opened fire on the Americans. This killed six and wounded three, including Early. This left York in command of the remaining seven men. With his men behind cover guarding the prisoners, York moved to deal with the machine guns. A Stunning Achievement Beginning in a prone position, he utilized the shooting skills he had honed as a boy. Picking off the German gunners, York was able to move to a standing position as he evaded enemy fire. During the course of the fight, six German soldiers emerged from their trenches and charged at York with bayonets. Running low on rifle ammunition, he drew his pistol and dropped all six before they reached him. Switching back to his rifle, he returned to sniping at the German machine guns. Believing he had killed around 20 Germans, and not wishing to kill more than necessary, he began calling for them to surrender. Sergeant Alvin York during the action of October 8, 1918 by Frank Schoonover. Public Domain In this, he was aided by the captured major who ordered his men to cease fighting. Rounding up the prisoners in the immediate area, York and his men had captured around 100 Germans. With the majors assistance, York began moving the men back toward the American lines. In the process, another 30 Germans were captured. Advancing through artillery fire, York and the surviving men delivered 132 prisoners to his battalion headquarters. This done, he and his men rejoined their unit and fought through to the Decauville Railroad. In the course of the fight, 28 Germans were killed and 35 machine guns captured. Yorks actions clearing the machine guns reinvigorated the 328ths assault and the regiment advanced to secure a position on the Decauville Railroad. Medal of Honor For his achievements, York was promoted to sergeant and awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Remaining with his unit for the final weeks of the war, his decoration was upgraded to the Medal of Honor which he received on April 18, 1919. The award was presented to York by American Expeditionary Forces commander General John J. Pershing. In addition to the Medal of Honor, York received the French Croix de Guerre and Legion of Honor, as well as the Italian Croce al Merito di Guerra. When given his French decorations by Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the supreme allied commander commented, What you did was the greatest thing ever accomplished by any soldier by any of the armies of Europe. Arriving back in the United States in late May, York was hailed as a hero and was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York City. Later Life Though wooed by filmmakers and advertisers, York was eager to return home to Tennessee. Doing so, he married Gracie Williams that June. Over the next several years, the couple had 10 children, eight of whom survived infancy. A celebrity, York took part in several speaking tours and eagerly sought to improve educational opportunities for area children. This culminated with the opening of the Alvin C. York Agricultural Institute in 1926, which was taken over by the State of Tennessee in 1937. Though York possessed some political ambitions, these largely proved fruitless. In 1941, York relented and allowed a film to be made of his life. As the conflict in Europe increased in intensity, what had first been planned as a movie about his work to educate children in Tennessee became an overt statement for intervention in World War II. Starring Gary Cooper, who would win his only Academy Award for his portrayal, Sergeant York proved a box office hit. Though he opposed the U.S. entry into World War II prior to Pearl Harbor, York worked to found the Tennessee State Guard in 1941, serving as colonel of the 7th Regiment and became a spokesperson for the Fight for Freedom Committee, counter to Charles Lindberghs isolationist American First committee. With the beginning of the war, he attempted to re-enlist but was turned away due to his age and weight. Unable to serve in combat, he instead played a role in war bond and inspection tours. In the years after the war, York was plagued by financial problems and was left incapacitated by a stroke in 1954. He died on September 2, 1964, after suffering a cerebral hemorrhage. Sources Birdwell, Michael E. Alvin Cullum York: The Myth, the Man, and the Legacy. Tennessee Historical Quarterly 71.4 (2012): 318–39. Print.Hoobler, James A. Sergeant York Historic Area. Tennessee Historical Quarterly 38.1 (1979): 3–8. Print.Lee, David D. Appalachia on Film: The Making of Sergeant York. Southern Quarterly 19.3 (1981): 207–15.Maestriano, Douglas V. Alvin York: A New Biography of the Hero of the Argonne. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 2014.

Swearing Bylaws in Different States - 790 Words

On February 15, 2010 a woman in Chapel Hill, NC by the name of Samantha Elabanjo was arrested because she told two Chapel Hill Police Officers, â€Å"you need to clean your dirty damn car,† and she then called them â€Å"assholes† (State of North Carolina). If Samantha Elabanjo lived in Rockville, Maryland the outcome may have been different. To date, there are no known documented arrest for Rockville’s Profanity Law. Rockville, Maryland’s City Code Chapter 13 Article III Sec. 13-53 states, â€Å"(a) a person may not profanely curse and swear or use obscene language upon or near any street, sidewalk or highway within the hearing of persons passing by, upon or along such street, sidewalk or highway; (b) a person may not act in a disorderly manner by profanely cursing, swearing or using obscene language; (c) any person who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor† (Profanity). Rockville, Maryland’s ban on profanity should be nullified. The law is too broad, violates the first amendment, and is already prohibited in other laws. Perhaps the reason for no known documented cases in Rockville, Maryland is that the law is too broad. The local ordinance does not specify the intent of the law. Is the law to prevent noise pollution or is it to prevent harassment or mal intent? A law that does not include intent, can lead to erroneous arrests and a waste of tax payer’s money. This law allows a person to be arrested for a variety of reasons concerning profanity that may not be malicious orShow MoreRelatedCode Of Ethics And Professional Conduct1274 Words   |  6 Pagesnot rigid it may be amended for professionalism according to the bylaws of the Institute constitution. The whole CEPC is separated into three parts. The first part is about Principles and Responsibilities, second part is Financial Matters for Trade and Service and the final part is about Procedure of Inquiry Disciplinary Action. Principles and Responsibilities Principles and responsibilities are also categorized into four different aspects like responsibility to the public, responsibility to clientsRead MoreSociology and Group41984 Words   |  168 Pagesat an airport. c. Fans cheering at a baseball game. d. Jury members deliberating a court case. e. A congregation listening to a sermon. Answer: d. Jury members deliberating a court case. . A group with 7 members has the potential for _______ different types of interactions. a. 9 b. 90 c. 666 d. 900 e. 966 Answer: e. 966 . What is the ideal group size for a problem-solving discussion? a. 3–5 people b. 4–6 people c. 5–7 people d. 6–9 people e. 8–12 people Answer: c. 5–7 people . According

Academic and Art for Learning and Social Media-myassignmenthelp

Question: Discuss about theAcademic and Art for Learning and Social Media. Answer: Introduction In the contemporary and global world, the numerous social media channels are taken use for connecting people together across the globe via internet. No matter about the means such as media sharing websites, blogs, forums, social networks, etc. the individuals can perform several activities and have a conversation with each other (Siamagka, et al., 2015). The paper will give arguments about the distinctive benefits of social media on five major sectors that comprises of as a source of earning money, marketing and advertising strategy, to attain improvement in women life, to upsurge employment opportunities and to improve education. The paper will highlight all these aspects with some detail analysis that in what manner social media helps them to grow and will conclude with an overall evaluation of the discussion. Benefits of Social Media Social media plays a vital role in a successful marketing and advertising of any organisation as the companies makes use of social media and social networks in enhancing the social visibility of an organisation by having a strong online presence. There is a trend that the company advertises and markets their brand on several social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc. All such social media channels help the organisation in achieving strong social recognition and marketing of the products and services of the company (Husain, Ghufran and Chaubey, 2016). Another marketing and advertising benefit of social media is creative digital marketing, a marketing technique that of the company for publicizing the products through digital technology. There are various digital technologies such as internet, mobile phones, etc. which helps the companies in generating revenues and participate in economic development (Lazaroiu, 2010). Next key benefit of social media in context w ith marketing is to retain the customers through 24*7 online support, taking feedbacks from customers, and marketing of their brand through positive reviews on various social platforms. Thus, social media has vast benefits in respect with economy, increased advertising and extended marketing of the organisation and its product and services (Tiago and Verssimo, 2014). Second important aspect in which the benefits of social media can be analysed is helping the people in earning money. Social media is considered as a source of generating money through various social networks and tools. There are people who are handicapped or are physically un-fit or disable who cannot have much exertion for their livelihood. To those people, social media gives an opportunity to earn without any much physical movement; it becomes their source of earning. For example, people can make their website or have their business accounts on several social networks from where they can purchase and sell (Gilfoil, 2012). This results in social media appearing as an income generation source. Another benefit of social media in earning money is that there are several young people who are running a good business and earning high amount by the means of social media channels irrespective of their age, geographical location, experience, etc. Thus, social media is successfully running th e livelihood of thousands of people just by considering social media a channel for business and expending it without any such barricades that are found in the physical business channels (Tsimonis and Dimitriadis, 2014). The third key area which is served by social media advantages is the education sector. There are still numerous regions that are not much developed and do not have technological and infrastructure facilities by which the children can have a better education. But with the effort and participation of social media in human lives, the scenario has completely changes as now the education is offered via social media channels and social networks which are also free of cost. With the help of social media, the children can study, achieve relevant study material and can have learning by the means of video conferencing (Tess, 2013). Social media also offers number of opportunities to connect with the international lecturers and also develops an effective flow of communication between the students and the teachers. This assists the students in fetching meaning information and study material which can help them in building their career. On the education sector, social media also helps in offering good job opportunities to the students with the help of digital media that enables universities and organisations to select some of the best students as their future employees (Dron and Anderson, 2014). The next segment who is reaping the benefits of social media is the female members of the global world. Still in several regions of the societies, women are not allowed to perform commercial and business activities because of the old traditions and customs. This restricts the women development and growth of female members of the society. Thus, to eradicate such issue and to improve the lives of women, social media plays a significant role. One of the benefit is to increase the social circle and have social network which is easily not possible for women as it is analysed that when females have started using social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, etc. they are tend to perform their own online business and started earning which makes them independent and to have an access to a more better life (Leftheriotis and Giannakos, 2014). Another key benefit for women is that there are several talents and capabilities possess by the women across the world but due to unavailability of financial and family support, they do not tend to grow their capability in a form of business. But social media helps such women in starting a new phase of their lives by giving them a platform to show their talent such as e-commerce activities related to arts, decorations, bakery business, boutique, fashion, etc. All such are the fields where women have gained huge recognition by initiating business through social media channels (Benson, Morgan and Filippaios, 2014). Social media is the most recognized recruitment tool for both domestic as well as international organisations. The companies have started recruiting people on the basis of their profiles made on several social business sites such as LinkedIn, Monster.com, etc. (Utz, 2016). These are the sites that help in developing the employment sector by offering suitable jobs to thousands of individuals. Another employment benefit of social media for both the organisation as well as for the individuals is that there is an access to a number of choices to select the candidates or the companies. It is not restricted by geographical borders. It is one of the vital sources of generating employment opportunities in present time. With the help of these social media sites and social networking platforms, individuals can apply for jobs in other companies but can also work for them too as a great employment opportunity (Schaupp and Blanger, 2013). There is an extensive need to effectively manage the overa ll activities and operations of these social media sites and thus they require qualified individuals. This results in increased availability of jobs and thus, a big threat of unemployment has started resolving with the initiative of social media in the world. Social media offers extensive advantages and benefits to several other segments too as well as play a significant role in developing those segments. It comprises of development of the small businesses, getting financial support, increasing awareness, enhancing brand visibility and hundreds of other benefits (Markova and Petkovska-Mircevska, 2013). But on the same time there is literature that focuses upon the negative side too which is related with the overuse of the social media or wrong use of these channels such as for terrorist activities, for advertising fake news or stories, etc. Thus, it is evident from the discussion made above that social media is not only a channel but also a factor for improving and recuperating several aspects of the society which otherwise remained unexploited. Social media gives those aspects of the society, an opportunity to grow and develop and reap the benefits from the global world as much as possible (Malthouse, et al., 2013). Conclusion From the insights gained from the paper, it can be concluded that social media and its significance is rising on a continuous basis. People are not taking use of social media just for interaction or social networking but also for numerous vital purposes that includes expansion of the business, e-commerce activities, effective marketing and advertising through digital marketing, global visibility of the brand, women empowerment, eradicating the issue of unemployment from the world by offering employment opportunities, earning income, buying and selling and several other activities. It can be stated that involvement of social media in the human lives is up surging with an increasing arte and this is fetching their attention to involve in all such activities. Therefore, individuals, business organisations and other institutes must take use of social media and its benefits but also considering the few negative sides associated with the aspect too such as breaching of security, developmen t of rumours, support to terrorism, etc. So that only positive outcomes can be realized of taking use of social media. 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Malthouse, Edward C., Michael Haenlein, Bernd Skiera, Egbert Wege, and Michael Zhang. "Managing customer relationships in the social media era: introducing the social CRM house."Journal of Interactive Marketing27, no. 4 (2013): 270-280. Markova, Sonja, and Tatjana Petkovska-Mircevska. "Social media and supply chain."Amfiteatru Economic15, no. 33 (2013): 89. Schaupp, Ludwig Christian, and France Blanger. "The value of social media for small businesses."Journal of Information Systems28, no. 1 (2013): 187-207. Siamagka, Nikoletta-Theofania, George Christodoulides, Nina Michaelidou, and Aikaterini Valvi. "Determinants of social media adoption by B2B organizations."Industrial Marketing Management 51 (2015): 89-99. Tess, Paul A. "The role of social media in higher education classes (real and virtual)A literature review."Computers in Human Behavior29, no. 5 (2013): A60-A68. Tiago, Maria Teresa Pinheiro Melo Borges, and Jos Manuel Cristvo Verssimo. "Digital marketing and social media: Why bother?."Business Horizons57, no. 6 (2014): 703-708. Tsimonis, Georgios, and Sergios Dimitriadis. "Brand strategies in social media."Marketing Intelligence Planning32, no. 3 (2014): 328-344. Utz, Sonja. "Is LinkedIn making you more successful? The informational benefits derived from public social media."new media society18, no. 11 (2016): 2685-2702.