Bena Mae’s Kitchen: Sgt. Alvin C. York — A True American Hero

Throughout our history there have been untold numbers of heroes who fought for our freedom. It is my view that anyone who dons a uniform and fights for this country is a hero. There is much to thank them for. Their sacrifices in the name of liberty is to be applauded, whatever the war in which they have been engaged.  
One of my favorite heroes is Alvin C. York who fought in World War I. He hailed from the small town of Jamestown, Tenn., a farm boy who was a pacifist and didn’t believe in killing. But his patriotism over- rode his staunch beliefs and he joined our fighting men in Europe because he felt it was his duty to his country. It was never his intention to become a hero. He was just doing what came naturally.
My second hand knowledge of this legendary hero comes from my friendship with the lone telephone operator of the small rural community. She lived just down the road from York and knew him on a personal basis, as did everyone in town. Her name was Bertie and she was the outlet for all calls coming in or going out of the isolated mountain region of Fentress County.
The telephone switchboard was in her home. It was shut down at noon during her lunch hour and reopened from 1 to 5 o’clock when she shut it down for the night. All calls from the War Department went through her switchboard which she relayed to the sheriff who took the message and notified the family of deceased or missing-in-action soldiers.  She told many sad stories of her personal involvement of being a central figure in this tragic history of our country and its impact upon her community.
Bertie, who knew Sgt. York well said he was just an ordinary citizen who would never knowingly seek so much attention and dodged it whenever he could. She had a front row seat of what happened when he returned home as an American hero and she tells it like this.    But first here is an excerpt written in York’s own words:
“In the middle of the fight a German officer and five men done jumped out of a trench and charged me with fixed bayonets. They had about twenty-five yards to come and they were coming right smart. I only had about half a clip left in my rifle; but I had my pistol ready. I done flipped it out fast and teched them off, too.
I teched off the sixth man first; then the fifth; then the fourth; then the third; and so on. That’s the way we shoot wild turkeys at home. You see we don’t want the front ones to know that we’re getting the back ones, and then they keep on coming until we get them all. Of course, I hadn’t time to think of that. I guess I jes naturally did it. I knowed, too, that if the front ones wavered, or if I stopped them the rear ones would drop down and pump a volley into me and get me.”
 Sgt. York ended up single handedly capturing 132 German prisoners and killing 20. When he turned the prisoners over  to his commanding officer, the officer said “What did you do, York? Capture the whole d*** German army?”
Back to Bertie’s story.
After the big hero’s welcome in New York and a big welcome by the whole country, the Sgt. came home to resume what he thought would be a normal life.  But when his story was written into a movie, it sent the little town into a frenzy of movie makers and news media and calls from producers in New York and Hollywood which naturally went through Bertie’s switchboard.  Then she had to round up scads of people to come to her home to take the calls.
In the meantime, Sgt.  York went about his daily routine, indifferent to all the hullabaloo going on around him. When some big Hollywood producer called and asked Bertie if she could get in touch with the Sgt., she replied
“I’ll try to find him for you. He went by my house with a truckload of hogs a few minutes ago.”
Sgt. Alvin C. York.  A true American hero.
*****  
(Watch Sgt. York starring Gary Cooper for an excellent depiction of his life.)  

Who doesn’t like salmon patties?  This is a variation of the old tried and true.

Curried Salmon Cakes

2 large eggs
2 pouches (about 7 oz. each) boned, skinned pink salmon, or 1 can (about 15 oz.) red or pink salmon, drained, skin removed
1/2 cup finely chopped apple
1/4 cup fine dried bread crumbs
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Beat eggs with a fork. Add salmon and break up. Stir in apple, bread crumbs, onions, mayonnaise, curry powder, paprika, and pepper. Shape into four cakes (3/4 in. thick); place on a piece of plastic wrap.
Set a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When hot, add oil, then salmon cakes. Cook until well browned on the bottom, 5 to 7 minutes. Turn cakes over and cook until browned on the other side, 3 to 5 minutes longer.
 Note: After shaping the patties, put them in the fridge until they are set so they will hold together.