[lit-ideas] Re: 21. century European anti-Semitism
- From: John McCreery <mccreery@xxxxxxx>
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 20 Apr 2004 15:46:56 +0900
<Appendix to Previous Message>
From http://www.users.voicenet.com/~lpadilla/york.html
"Ironically, while having earned the reputation of being the best
marksman and hunter in Fentress County, Tennessee before the war, York
applied for Conscientious Objector status due to his religion when
drafted; as his church denomination did not specifically prohibit
service in war, the application was turned down. Although he performed
well in basic training, tutoring his fellow draftees in marksmanship,
he repeatedly sought exemption from combat. An open and frank
discussion with his company and battalion commanders, debating religion
and patriotic duty, ended with York being given two weeks' leave to
decide. The battalion commander, Major George Buxton, agreed to
discharge him if he still held to his convictions after the leave, but
York returned and went overseas with the 82nd "All American" Division.
He attributed his decision to Matthew 22:21 "...Then sayeth he unto
them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's; and
unto God the things which are God's."
"York rose to the rank of Corporal and, during the final offensive in
the Meuse-Argonne region, found himself facing the German machine gun
nest with 35 machine guns at Chatel-Chehery. Armed with a Springfield
rifle and a Colt .45 automatic pistol, he pushed out alone ahead of his
depleted squad and began sniping at the Germans as they stuck their
heads out of the nest to aim. He then killed six Germans who were sent
to flush him out, then positioned himself at the end of the German
trench and began shooting them as they stood in line in the trench,
prompting their surrender. (Not mentioned in the citation is that a
total of 25 Germans were killed before the remaining 132 gave up the
fight.) The highest-decorated American of World War I, York returned
home with, in addition to the Medal of Honor, a promotion to Sergeant,
the French Croix de Guerre and a gift of 400 acres of good farmland
from the grateful people of Tennessee."
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