The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, May 28, 1919, Image 9
VOLUME Xxxiv. LAURENS, SOUTH CAROLINA, WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 1919.NUBR4
ALVIN C. YORK WAS NOT
CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTOR
When lie Learned What Germany Had
Done, Religion Did Not Interfere.
Everybody has been reading about
Alvin C. York, greatest individual hero
of the world 'war, since his arrival in
New York on Thursday. In fact, a
good many people read about him sev
eral weeks ago in an articlo written
by George Patullo and published in the
Saturday Evening .Post. The story be
low from The New York Times gives
a now angle to the Tennessee moun
taineer and 'at the same time corrects
an error-York was not a conscien
tious objector. 'He didn't know why
the war was ibeing fought, but when
shown that Germany was guilty of
much devilment he understood and
his religion (lid not get in the way.
Here is the story 'rom The Times:
Sergeant Alvin C. York, the Tennes
-see woodsman who won the Congres
sional Medal of Honor and the per
sonal commendation of General Persh
Ing for his exploit of killing 25 Ger
mans, capituring 132, and putting 35
machine guns out of commission on
Oct. 8, arrived in New York yesterday
on the transport Ohioan, to find him
self' the centre of cheering and admir
ing crowds.
From the moment he was spied by
members of the Tennessee Society who
went down the 'bay to meet him until
he retired last night in the d luxe
suite of a leading hotel, the big, red
halred, freckled-faced, blue-eyed Ten
nessean received a series of ovations
which. lo (mote him, "plumb scared
III to death." '
When the Ohioan docked at lut
hoken, Sergt. ork, who by reason of
his Congressional Medal is entitled to
the salutes of all omcers, was escorted
from tile ship to the dock, where )r. J.
.1. Kinf, President of the Tennessee So
ciety; M. A. Kellogg, Chairman of the
York Welcoinhlg lomm'ittee; J. G.
Lavender, and a score of other mem
hers of the soelety extended to him a
wel(comoe.
"We have obtained a fve-day fur
lough for you, and you are to be our
auest ,"- )I. 1(inf said, while York's
comrades in the 328th Infantry gave
im11 a series of cheers.
York, blushig intil his face was al
most as red as hiis hair, tried to duck
away but foiunld It iimpossible to break
throuigh the crowd which su rrotunded
hii. Ile admitted that. at one time, he
had beeI the champion wild turkey
hAooteir of Iis cout ity, blt was modest
abotit his more recent achilevemen ts.
Only by wrsistent I (-*stilotting (ould
lie he 1idiced to talk. lie deniled he
was a coniseentiois objector whei, as
Seconid elder of the Cuiiirch of Christ
anl Ciristian rinion, lie had been
drafted into the army.
"I d(id'I't know why I had been
jeiked from my home and put into a
uniform," he said. "If you go into a
thing, you ought to know what it Is
all about. When they took me to Camp
Uitonu and i told me I wv'as going to fight
this mtan Kaiser, it didn't. mean any
thing to me at all,
"One day I was taken to headqunar
ltrs andl an officer told me the pastot
of mty (chur ch in Pall Mall, Trenn., hiad
written, asking for' my release becaus(
I was a conscientious objector. I wa.
asked if I objected to fightinog. I an
s were tii No, that's w hat i 'mi liere for
itut I wish you would tell ine what thli
w'at' s about.' blent. C'ol. liuxton am
Ca pt. Garnier talked to me andi toldl mn
thle things th3 Glermians hadl dlone i<
ot her nat ions and to its. Whent t he)
finilshted I to1(1 them I couldn't see hiov
anybody wvho w"anted pecace in thu
world could do anything buit fIght."
"hlow (10 you feel in your mindl abou
killing twenty-five Germans," lhe wa:
asked.
"My conscience is clear. The blami
is on the Germans for star'ting thi
When told that some of his comn
r'ades, who returned several days agc
hadl crit icisedl the aiward of the (Cot
gressional Medal to hun, lie smile
andl said:
"Sur'e 'nuighi? Well, those mce
whose names you mentioned all utad
afmdavits with other' soldiers to Litu
Col. Iluxton that 'I had done all tht
thiings claimed."
York said lie expected to enter th
mtinistry after taking a rest at lt
htome. "I feel a heap stronger' spiri
nally, for' it wias Impossible for a ma
toi Zo thruough what we did( wIthout thi
help of God," lie said. "I feel it wa
throught I him that I accomtplislhe
wvhat I did."
"They are getting up a big dinner
for you," -he was told.
"Well, a good winner like the kind
they have down my way would go
mighty good just this minute," he said.
' I don't see why people make such a
fuss over me. I want to go home as
soon as I can to see my girl. She
hasn't written to me In some time."
Officers and men on the Ohioan were
unanimous in praise of York. Not
once, since he received the highest
military honor bestowed by our Gov
ernment, 'has he shown any disposition
to regard his exploit as Important,
they said. Several officers expressed
regret that other members of Sergeant
York's .patrol squad which surprised
the Germans at Hill 223 in the Ar
gonne Forest, had not won recognition.
The following from the Now York
World tells how he did it:
Sorgt. Alvin C. York, Company G,
328th 'Tnfantry, of Pall Mall, Tenn., the
former conscientious objector, who Is
credited with having performed the
greatest individual feat of the war in
capturing 132 Germans, after killing
twenty-flve and cleaning out thirty
flve machine gun nests, arrived here
yesterday on the transport Ohioan. A
delegation of the Tennessee Society of
New York, which has planned five
days of celebration for him, received
him at Iloboken pier.
The six-footer was easily recog
nized as the vessel came to her pier.
Photographers and re)oiteIs rushed
to him. lie stayed them n.off while he
readl messages from tihe home folk
and a wire from the pastor of the
Clii11rh of Christ and ('I ristlan
Union, of which York is second elder,
warning him against signing con
tracts for vaudeville or lectures.
One message was from his mother
and a rnther rfrom his sweetheart,
sevelnteen-vear-old Grace Williams,
the rettlest girl in all Tennessee,
take it frm York, and be says he
kilowS what lhe is talking ab ou1t.
York wears the D. S. C. and the
Croix de Guerre, and has been ree
omniendled for' the ('ongressional
Medal.
"Sure, I killed twenty-five Germans
tle day I catiired 132 prisoners," he
said, answering a question. "if T
hadn't killed them (ici(k I Wouldn't
be here."
'i e wax told s')me of his ompany
who arrived( here two days ago ac
('used himil of grabbing all the glory
and Iiedals of the success of lie at
tack ;i wleh thcy took part.
"Well, all I van asy is that every
man who was withl me swore to an
aflidavit telling just whieri'e le was
and what happened Ihat day, before I
1ot these medals," lie said. "I sure
am" * -utriseld that they are saying
such things."
In the automobile that took him to
the Waldorf-Astoria, where le will
sipeinld five (lays' furlough, Sergt. York
tal(ed of his exploit. ie drew a map
showing the field on Oct. 8, and the
formation of his company on 11111 223
at 6 o'clock that morning when orders
cameo to capturte a railway twvo kilo
metries acr'oss a valley and a stream.
I tal f of the men dropped biefor'e thle
valley was crossed, lie saidl, and ma
cline gun ftre was beating on them
fi'om all sides.
"We mtadle at detour i across the val-.
Iey unt iJ we got b~ack (If a niest otf
the enemy, from wichl the crew hadl
been plek(1iig off 0our men1 irighit smuarit,'
lie wenit (in. ''It is veryv bushy, and(
we ,were within 20 yards of the cew
befrore we realized it. QO (of ourl
meni shot at them. lie surie stairtel
sometinug. Theiy fied on us fron
e'very dIirection. Ourm boys citherci rat
or fell on their stomachs as tic
Germans did(. 1 sat i'ighit wvhere I
was, andl it seemned as if eveiry gun
nei' was a-firing straight at me. All
this time, though, I was a-using m3
rifle andl the enemy lhe was a-feelinj
the effects of it.
"One of our b~oys yelled that It wa:
impoi)051ll to get the blest of the situa
tion, but I yelledl back, 'shut uip.'
knew one Amierican was better thai
ten Germans if he kept hIs wvits,
turned in time to see a Heine ILieuten
Sant, with six 01' evOen men, charginj
towai'd me1 with fixed bayonets. The:
Swere only twenty yairds firom me whiei
I whipped out my automatic and pot
a ted thiemi off, one after the othier.
a "The Majoi' with the first batel
- (of Germans we hiad come aciross, an:
a who was lylig on his stomach to avoil
e being lilt by hits own gunner's, callei
s to me in perfect EnglIsh that if
[1 would stop shooting lie would mak
thenm all surnrender. so I did. Then
called all our boys, and their 'affidav- "We lost six boys, though, and
Its show they came, and we herded the three others were badly wounded."
Germans in front of us and started
toward our lines. I walked among We have recently received a co
four German officers and had our l)lcte stock of Chifforobes, Wardrobes,
wounded bring up the rear. The Major China Closets, Buffets and Hall Racks.
asked imc how many men I had, and S. M. & E. H. WILKIDS & 00.
I just told him, 'I had a-plenty.'
"We walked into two or three ma- No Worms In a Healthy Child
chine gun nests, but each time the All children troubled with worms have an un
Major told me if I would not shoot healthy color, which Indicates poor blood, and as a
rule, there is more or less stomach disturbance.
he would order the crews to surren- GROVE'S TASTELESS chill TONIC give regularly
for two or three weeks will enrich the blood, im
der, so he blew a whistle, the gunners Prove the digestion, and act as a General Strength
fell into line and we had 132 of them eningTonleto thewhole system. Naturewilithen
throw off or dispethe worms, and the Child wi be
when we got to our lines. in perfect health. Pleasant totake. c per bottle.
DR. EARL C. OWENS
. Veterinary Surgeon
Formerly in Government Service
Office-Putnam Drug Store. Laurens, S. C.
BIG JUBILEE DAY
Anniversary and Home-Coming Celebration
CLINTON, S. C.
Saturday, June 7th.
The Biggest Day in Clinton's History! Thousands Will
be Here for the Great Celebration and You and
Your Whole Family are Invited and expected!!
Big Military Parade, 34-Piece Brass Band and
Floats, Addresses,Chautauqua, Barbecue,
Reception to Returned Soldiers,
Base Ball--Newberry vs Clinton
SPEAKER OF THE DAY--PROF. D.W. DANIEL OF CLEMSON COLLEGE
Dr. Daniel is one of the most brilliant scholars and interesting speakers in the State and
will have a message worth traveling miles to hear. Don't miss him.
Good music by a 34-Piece Brass Band from Camp Jackson.
EXERCISES BEGIN AT 9.30 WITH BAND CONCERT
Concert will be followed by spectacular parade, headed by our returned soldiers in full
uniform. Three prizes will be awarded for the three best floats in line. This is to be
the biggest parade ever seen in this section---Don't ftil to see it.
Clinton Bids You Welcome
We extend the glad hand. The gates of our city are thrown open to you. It's to be a
big Gala Day. We want your presence at celebration. With our hand goes our heart
in a joyous welcome to all. Come--nmake yourself at home. It will be a genuine pleas
ure to see you. Renew old acquaintances and help us welcome our returned soldier boys.
Don't Ferget the Date, Saturday, June 7th. Begin Planning to Come
Come Early--Bring the Whole Family--Come Prepared to Spend the Day
Follow the crowds--all roads will lead to Clinton--A big time for everybody. Features
to suit all tastes. Come--Fill up with the Jubilee Spirit--"MEET ME IN CLINTON"
Something Doing All Day--Saturday, June 7th