York's World War I heroism still stands out

On Sept. 2, 1964, Alvin York, one of the most decorated soldiers of World War I, died in Nashville, Tennessee, at the age of 76. Two months after the United States joined the allies to fight in World War I, York registered for the draft. He initially claimed conscientious objector status, but he was drafted and was denied the exemption for the war. He went to France in September 1918.

On October 8, 1918, he became a legendary war hero. His unit was pinned down by enemy machine gun fire. He led a small patrol, but his commanding officer was killed, and most of his squad was either killed or wounded. He was killing attacking German soldiers when he ran out of rifle ammunition. But he managed to shoot six Germans with a pistol before they could reach him.

Resupplied with ammunition, he went on the attack, eliminating the German machine gun positions. The Germans thought they were being attacked by a superior force and surrendered. He had killed 20 Germans and captured 132, single-handed. He was eventually awarded the Medal of Honor and received more than 50 awards for his service in Chatel-Chéhéry, including three from France and one from Italy.

Roger Gregory served as a captain in the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam. He is a Priest River businessman.