An American Hero

Recently I have been reading the diary of a great American hero, Alvin York; he was the most acclaimed hero of World War I. When drafted, he tried for exemption as a conscientious objector, but was denied exemption for various reasons. York finally accepted that he must go to war, but still was not willing to kill. He had some discussion with a commanding officer who tried to convince York from Scripture that it is permissible for Christians to kill in war. York was not totally convinced, but he had serious doubts concerning his prior convictions.

York resolved to obey the authority over him, and in the heat of battle he proved himself a valiant warrior. In the battle of Argonne, many of York's division were gunned down by German machine gunners. York knew he must stop those machine guns in order to save the lives of the American forces. What followed was an astounding feat of heroics as York (virtually) single handedly captured 132 German soldiers!

You can read York's diary for yourself or watch the big screen version starring Gary Cooper. It's an amazing story worth reading!