The Incredible Story of Alvin York: From Pacifist to War Hero
Our American Stories
iHeartPodcasts
4.6 • 817 Ratings
🗓️ 11 August 2025
⏱️ 12 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
On this episode of Our American Stories, Sgt. Alvin York is one of the most celebrated American heroes of World War I. A deeply religious man and self-proclaimed pacifist, York initially sought exemption from military service. But on the battlefields of France, he performed a single act of bravery that made him a national legend. Historian Elliott Drago of the Jack Miller Center shares the remarkable true story of how a Tennessee farm boy became one of the most decorated soldiers in U.S. military history.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | This is an IHeart podcast. |
| 0:04.2 | Here insightful, entertaining discussions on today's important health and wellness topics |
| 0:09.1 | on the Health Discovered podcast from WebMD. |
| 0:12.3 | Through in-depth conversations with experts, |
| 0:14.4 | Health Discovered covers everything from tips for healthier living to the latest on therapy and mental health. |
| 0:19.7 | My goal is to really destigmatize mental health treatment and looking at it from a whole |
| 0:25.4 | health perspective. |
| 0:26.7 | Physical health and mental health can be intertwined. |
| 0:30.1 | Listen to WebMD Health Discovered on the IHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:34.8 | Music or wherever you get your podcasts. |
| 0:48.3 | And we continue with our American stories. |
| 0:51.5 | The story of Sergeant Alvin York is a celebrated chapter in American history. |
| 0:55.0 | Though he tried to avoid war for religious reasons, York became one of the most notable |
| 0:59.6 | heroes of World War I for his actions in October of 1918. |
| 1:05.2 | Here to tell the story is Elliot Drago. |
| 1:07.5 | He is the Jack Miller Center's editorial officer and historian. |
| 1:12.6 | Take it away, Elliot. |
| 1:25.5 | Alvin's eyes scanned the valley. |
| 1:28.3 | Everywhere he looked, young men fell like the long grass before the mowing machine. |
| 1:33.3 | Where's the artillery? he wondered. |
| 1:36.3 | Nearby, a panicked sergeant commanded his men to outflank the machine gunners perched in the surrounding hills. |
| 1:42.3 | They could, maybe, just maybe, dislodged the Germans and take the rail station. |
... |
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