File No.: Battle Study # 19
Title: Location where Sgt. Alvin C. York earned the Medal of Honor
Investigation made at: Châtel-Chéhéry, France
Period Covered: October 8th, 1918
Date:  July - November 2010
Case Classification: Description of Battlefield / Combat Scene
Case Status: Case Closed
REASON FOR INVESTIGATION: It came to our attention that efforts to locate the spot where US Army Corporal (later promoted to Sergeant) Alvin Cullum York of “G” Company, 328th Infantry Regiment earned the Medal of Honor for his actions on 8 OCT 1918 in France, have become the topic of discussion. Generally, two schools can be distinguished; a group named the Sergeant York Discovery Expedition (“SYDE”) with a military background and a multi-disciplinary group of experts named “The Sergeant York Project”.

The SYDE-group, led by US Army Colonel Mastriano, claims to have found “the only possible location where York could have earned the Medal of Honor.”
The Sergeant York Project is based on a dissertation, submitted in 2007, which earned geographer Thomas Nolan his doctor-title. Two subsequent field searches have led to the theory that the general area of the engagement can be pinpointed.

Battledetective.com read the reports, studied subsequent publications and visited the battlefield.
 

SYNOPSIS:  
The actions of Sergeant York which earned him the Medal of Honor, is described in the citation for his decoration:

“Rank and organization: Corporal, U.S. Army, Company G, 328th Infantry, 82nd Division. Place and date: Near Châtel-Chéhéry, France, 8 October 1918. Entered service at: Pall Mall, Tenn. Born: 13 December 1887, Fentress County, Tenn. G.O. No.: 59, W.D., 1919. Citation: After his platoon had suffered heavy casualties and 3 other noncommissioned officers had become casualties, Corporal York assumed command. Fearlessly leading 7 men, he charged with great daring a machinegun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In this heroic feat the machinegun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several guns.”

- Source: (http://www.army.mil/cmh/) -