Firing eighteen times, the read-headed backwoods Tennessean squarely hit his enemy between the eyes. Next he single-handedly killed seven more Germans as they came rushing toward him thinking him an easy target. One by one, Sergeant Alvin C. York shot the enemy starting with the seventh man first, then the sixth and so-on and last but not least their officer. This was York's turkey hunting technique.

When hunting turkey's back home in Tennessee, he always started with the rear birds so that the ones in the front would assume he was missing and keep coming. This was not the first time the "woodsman

and the hunter" used his backwoods hunting technique to out smart the German forces.

Sergeant York was chosen by his commanding officer, Sergeant Early that morning to lead the three squads through No Man's Land, deep into German territory. This Sergeant York successfully did as he had always done back home in Tennessee when hunting fox, deer, turkey and squirrel. Quietly and swiftly York and the men slipped through the dark forest of the enemy. Hiding behind trees, bushes and in the dark shadows without being seen or firing a shot. York led the doughboys right into a German camp. Seeing

the Americans in their camp, the German assumed it was a whole army and surrendered at once.

Sergeant Early reassumed command and York stayed alert and ready to fire. Suddenly one of the surrendered German officers called out a

command and not understanding German the doughboys told him to shut up. Within that instant the German prisoners threw themselves on the ground and enemy machine guns erupted in a deadly blaze. The Spew of bullets killed Sergeant Early and killed or wounded six privates. One corporal was shot and killed with over 200 enemy bullets, while another had an "X" shot in his helmet and every button cut from his uniform, thus leaving seven privates and a corporal unhurt. Behind a big tree were two privates, in a near by bush two more, and the next two downed themselves behind the prisoners which saved their lives. After hearing the German command, York took cover as bullets sprayed around him. Laying there York had only one thought - he had gone to war to fight and to fight machine gunners! Killing eighteen German machine gunners, six soldiers, and their officer, he killed a grand total of twenty seven!  After witnessing this heroic act of bravery the German commanding officer, a prisoner, realized he had better call his men off before his whole army was

lying at the feet of this God fearing, patriotic, freedom loving, American. The German's surrendered!

After returning to America, Alvin C. York was treated as royalty. He received the highest and most distinguished medal, the Congressional Medal of Honor, the French Croix de Guerre with

palms and over forty other high Allied decorations. However, with the medals and honors, and the offering of monies to commercialize his fame, York did not let it "go to his head." He briefly stated, "This here ole uniform of Uncle Sam's ain't for sale, nohow." When they persisted he told them to "Keep their thirty pieces of silver."

The story of Alvin C.York can be read in the one of many books at your local library.

Editor's note: Stacy and JB are raising a young family which does not allow Stacy as much time to do

the research necessary for  them to continue writing the "Old soldiers Never Die" column. JB says he would like to continue writing but about his other passion, automobiles.  This editor would like to thank Stacy for helping to make The People News the popular paper it is today. Look for JB's new column in next month's paper.