He Didn't Want to Fight. Then 132 Men Surrendered: The True Story of Alvin York

Tales of Life: Ordinary People, Extraordinary True Stories · Oct 4, 2026 · 9m

In 1917 a Tennessee farmer named Alvin York wrote "Don't want to fight" on his draft card. He asked to be excused from the war as a conscientious objector and was refused twice. On 8 October 1918, in the Argonne Forest in France, a patrol of 17 Americans got behind German lines. Six were killed, and York was left in charge of the survivors. By the American count, 132 German soldiers surrendered to him and seven men that morning.Chapters:

This is his documented story, the questions historians still ask about that number, and what he did with his fame: he turned down the money and built a…