Alvin York was amongst the most celebrated soldiers of the United States Army during the First World War. He was awarded the highest personal military award – ‘Medal of Honor’– owing to his courageous act during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In an attack during it, his patrol of 17 men came under heavy firing from the enemy and nine of them were either wounded or killed. York fought fiercely, killed more than twenty enemy soldiers, forced the Germans to surrender and eventually captured 132 soldiers. Alvin York won numerous awards for his bravery; however, he was initially unwilling to fight in the war due to his religious faith. It was after much persuasion that he finally relented. Even after the war, he turned down lucrative offers and worked for charitable and civic causes like improving educational opportunities for children in rural Tennessee. A movie - ‘Sergeant York’, based on his World War I exploits, was made in 1941 by Howard Hawks with Gary Cooper in the lead. As a mark of respect, numerous places and monuments were named after him. Prominent amongst these was his farm in Pall Mall, now known as Sgt. Alvin C. York State Historic Park.