Crutcher Bowman (Army) Documents
Manley Crutcher Bowman, from Madison County, Tennessee, was drafted into the military in 1917 as one of only twelve percent of draftees to actually engage in military service. He was deployed to Europe as an infantryman in 1918, serving in Company F of the 117th Infantry Regiment, part of the 30th Infantry Division. He fought in such battles as the Second Battle of the Somme and the Ypres-Lys Offensive. He was a part of the Hundred Days Offensive that broke the Hindenburg Line. After his service, Bowman returned to a life of farming in Beech Bluff while remaining involved with the military, serving as a military registrar signing draft papers during World War II. Bowman died in April 1976 at the age of 80.
Alvin C. York (Army/Medal of Honor) Documents
From Pall Mall, Tennessee, He was convinced to fight for the U.S. by his commanders, and on October 8th, 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne offensive he performed the deed that earned him a Medal of Honor. York’s team was tasked with destroying an enemy machine gun encampment, and took heavy casualties during the assault. York led the charge of the remaining members into the enemy line, killing multiple German soldiers and ambushing the main line. The Germans surrendered, and York and his unit captured 132 German soldiers. After the war, York moved back to Fentress county and attempted to reform education in the area, establishing the Alvin C. York educational institute in 1926. York died on September 2, 1964 at 76 years old in a veterans hospital in Nashville.