Sergeant Alvin York

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Alvin York is one of the most celebrated military personnel in the history of the United States. He was a staunch Christian, and therefore, his drinking and fighting behavior did not bar him from attending church regularly and leading in singing the hymn. York attended the Church of Christ in the Christian Union, a Protestant denomination that was opposed to secular politics and disputes between Christian denominations. The church did not have a specific doctrine in pacifism, but it had been established in reaction to the South’s support of slavery, which included the armed conflict during the American Civil War. York’s church was also opposed to all forms of violence, and this was a belief that he had prepared to carry all through his life.

However, after the outbreak of World War I, York reported to have been worried, as he did not want to go and kill, the only thing he believed was his Bible and the teachings of the church. York was convinced that he should not engage in any form of violence and he stood on this ground even after World War I broke out. The Selective Service Act made it a duty of every man between the age of 21-30 to register for the draft, and as a law-abiding citizen, York registered, but when registering the draft, he answered the question, “Do you claim exemption from draft – answered Yes, and he specified the grounds that he did not want to fight. However, his first claim was rejected, as during World War I, the status of a Conscientious objector did not exempt anyone from military duty. However, these individuals could be assigned other military duties that did not conflict with their anti-war principles. Even after registering, York was adamant to perform his military duties, as he even refused to sign documents presented by his pastor seeking a discharge from the army on religious grounds. Also, similar documents were provided by his mother claiming that York was the sole support of his mother and siblings, and thus she requested he be exempted. However, he later changed his mind and disclaimed ever having been a conscientious objector. Based on this, it is evident that York was conflicted about violence and war, and that is why he placed various obstacles in registering for the draft, which he eventually did.

The release of the “Sergeant York” film in 1941 had a massive impact on the U.S. both citizens and the army. For example, the film was well-received which means that people accepted the ideologies of war, as a result, people did not fear enlisting for the army as required for men under the age of 21-30. Previously, there had emerged many groups associated with religion and which preached for peace. As a result, the church continued to grow pacifists’ ideas that war and violence were unjustifiable as it brought along more destructions including property and killing which is against the teachings of the Bible. Based on this, many people held the same belief as York and saw no need to register for the draft. However, after the film was released, it depicted a detailed diary of York and what transpired during his experience in war. The fact that he won the battle and emerged victorious was highly celebrated, and he was now perceived as a war hero. This perception changed the minds of many as it was presented as evidence of communist influence in Hollywood during Senate hearings in September 1941 encouraging many to enlist in the army. Based on this, the release of the film had a lot of positive impacts in changing the ideologies on war.

References

Sergeant York 1941 Garry Cooper Life of Alvin York. Retrieved from: https://youtu.be/3Cw-K0KUMyU