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J.C. (Jim) Tumblin, OD, DOS
3604 Kesterwood Drive, East
Knoxville, Tennessee 37918-2557
(865) 687-1948

Sfc. Thomas R. York

Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. John F. Kennedy. * 

Members of the York family of Fentress County have served in the armed forces in every war their country has been involved in since the Revolutionary War. One of the descendants, Alvin C. York’s great-nephew, Sfc. Thomas Robert York, is now serving in Afghanistan.  

Alvin Cullum York (1887-1964) was the third of eleven children of William, son of Uriah York, a volunteer in the Union Army in the Civil War, and Mary Brooks York. Their eleven children were Henry, Joseph, Alvin, Samuel, Albert, Hattie, George, James, Lillian, Robert Daniel and Lucy.  

In 1918 Sgt. Alvin C. York captured the eyes and ears of the nation when he crushed a German machine-gun nest by killing 25 and capturing another 132 men. For this heroic deed he was promoted to Sergeant and given more than 50 decorations including the French Croix de Guerre presented by Marshal Foch himself. When he was awarded his country’s highest award, the Congressional Medal of Honor, the citation read:  

Alvin C. York (Army Serial No. 1910421), corporal, Company G 328^th Infantry, 82^nd Division. For conspicuous Gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty in action with the enemy near Chatel-Cheherry, France, October 8, 1918. After his platoon had suffered heavy casualties and three other non-commissioned officers had become casualties, Corporal York assumed command. Fearlessly leading seven men, he charged, with great daring, a machine-gun nest which was pouring deadly and incessant fire upon his platoon. In his heroic feat the machine-gun nest was taken, together with 4 officers and 128 men and several guns. Residence at enlistment: Pall Mall, Tenn.  

After the war, York had offers of several commercial ventures, but refused to profit from his fame. Instead he settled on a farm in Fentress County given him by the state of Tennessee, married his long-time sweetheart, Gracie Williams, and returned to his church where he taught children in the Sunday School. Over the years, he established the York Foundation, which supported an industrial school and a Bible school in his community.  

Alvin and Gracie showed their intense love of their country by naming most of their eight children after famous Americans: Alvin Jr. (1921-1983), a farmer; George Edward Buxton (b. 1923), a minister; Woodrow Wilson (b. 1925), a sawmill worker; Sam Houston (1928-1929); Andrew Jackson (b. 1930), a state park ranger; Betsey Ross (b. 1933), a secretary; Mary Alice (b. 1935), a businesswoman and Thomas Jefferson (1938-1972), a park ranger.  

Thomas Robert York was born in Jamestown, Tn. in 1968, the oldest of the three children of James and Bernice York. James, the son of Sgt. Alvin York’s brother, Robert Daniel York, served in the Army for seven years then returned to Jamestown where he worked in construction and factory work.

Thomas York and Casey Richards were both assigned to Ft. Hood, Tex. when they met. They were married in 2005 and now make their home in Fountain City’s Beverly community. Casey is caring for 4-year old Skylar and 4-month old Trevor and studying for her degree as a Registered Respiratory Therapist. She currently is rotating through the various Knoxville hospitals in the clinical phase of her education.  

(Ruth White Photograph)

After two 12-month deployments in Iraq, Sfc. (E-7) Thomas R. York, a combat engineer, is now serving his third deployment. He was first assigned in Jalalabad and Kandahar provinces, Afghanistan; but is now stationed at Fort Leatherneck (Helmand Province) with the 502^nd Multi-Role Bridge Company (MRBC) out of Ft. Knox, Ky.  

A recent issue of Freedom Watch, a U.S. Department of Defense publication, highlights the activity of his unit in an article entitled “A Bridge Not Too Far.” The 502^nd is building a replacement for the Saracha River Bridge which was destroyed in a flash flood. A 142-meter gap in a busy highway is being replaced by a Mabey-Johnson military bridge which snaps and bolts together like a giant erector set. That type bridge can be built quicker and over wider spans than the famous Bailey Bridge of World War II.  

Cpl. (E-4) Casey Richards York, a native of Binghamton, N.Y., volunteered for military service after graduating from high school in 1999. She is also from a military family as her father is a Marine Corps veteran. He was chosen “Soldier of the Cycle,” or Honor Graduate of his unit during his basic training.  

A generation later, Casey was “Soldier of the Cycle” in her graduating class at Ft. Leonard Wood. She also demonstrated her marksmanship with the M-16 rifle in the simulated combat drill by hitting 36 of 40 pop-up targets--the best score in her class. She served a tour of duty in Uijeongbu, Korea, just north of Seoul, and completed her three-year tour before she was honorably discharged in February 2003.  

Sfc. Thomas R. York is nearing the completion of his 20 years of active duty and looking forward to returning home to Casey and the children. The Yorks need not ask what they can do for their country. The answer seems to be implanted in their genes.  

Author’s Note: Thanks to Casey E. York, Perry R. Pratt, Tina Sparks and Danette Welch for their assistance with the text and photographs for this article. Additional photographs may be found on www.fountaincitytnhistory.info/.  

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*Kennedy Inaugural: Jan. 20, 1961.