I stepped back into my childhood tonight. When I was a kid, I had a hero like everyone else did. Mine was Sgt. Alvin C. York.
The reason for this post is because the 1941 movie "Sergeant York" was on television tonight. It stars Gary Cooper who is probably the coolest leading man of all time. Of course it's the tale of York's life and heroism during World War 1, but the appeal of this movie is it's accuracy.
As the story goes, York was a rambunctious and unruly young man with a flare for fighting and drinking. He had a "miraculous" conversion in his adulthood and joined the local church and, upon being drafted into the army, filed for exemption because of his religious beliefs. He was denied and went on to become the most decorated soldier of the war for his accomplishments during the Battle of the Argonne where he captured, nearly single-handedly, 132 German soldiers and killed close to thirty. Not bad for someone who disagreed with war altogether.
The part of the movie that really speaks is near the end. His commanding officer is congratulating him for saving so many lives and questions him about his beliefs and why he objected in the first place. York tells him that he was prepared to die for his country but not to kill for it. However, when the battle raged and he saw his fellow soldiers falling, he realized that fighting fire with fire was the only way to save lives. Thirty died but hundreds, and maybe thousands, were saved. His final comment on the matter is that, "I don't understand the Good Lord's ways. I'm as much again killin' as ever, but He put me in a place, and all I could do was what needed doin'."
I'll let you draw the parallels and life application principles for yourselves. If the clip above moves a little slow for you, stick with it. It comes around to point.
Alvin York was from Pall Mall, Tennessee. It's a small mountain community just north of Crossville. I visited there as a child. Cool place. With the money he made from his movie and book and other endorsements, he started a Bible college. He died in 1964.
Where have all the real heroes gone?
