What Is Alvin York's Duty

Alvin York’s first and most difficult battle was fought not on the battlefield, but in his own mind and soul, as he struggled to reconcile his firm belief that God did not want him to deliberately set out to kill another human being with his equally strong belief that it was his duty to defend his country. In his diary, York explains that his mother tried to claim that Alvin was her only means of support and that she needed him at home. He goes on to say that his pastor wrote to the army commanders on his behalf explaining that fighting was against their religion, but York refused to accept these excuses on his behalf and chose to go and, “answer the call of my country.” (York). Although he obeyed what he believed to be his duty, he continued to struggle with his conscience. He did not consider himself to be a half-hearted Christian. He did not hate the Germans and did not want to kill them. This caused him many sleepless nights because he just could not reconcile …show more content…
Alvin York did not have much formal schooling, having the approximate equivalent of a third-grade education, but he was well-trained in other areas that would prove to be even more valuable. Raised in Pall Mall, Tennessee, York, along with all the other men and boys in that area, spent the majority of his time on the weekly shooting matches. These matches offered various prizes and sometimes had more than fifty men competing at a time. Through years of practice, Alvin became one of the best shots with a rifle that the area had ever seen. (Cowan). He explained that back home, they shot at turkeys’ heads from 150 yards away! “We tied the turkey behind a log, and every time it bobbed up its head we let fly with those old muzzle loaders of ours. We paid ten cents a shot and if we hit the turkey's head we got to keep the whole turkey.” According to Alvin, “army shooting was tolerably easy” for him.