Alvin C. York insisted that no Gary Cooper, no movie.

York was a great war hero and a great casting director. Gary Cooper gave the best performance of his distinguished career in "Sergeant York". And director Howard Hawks also made his very best film.

Alvin C. York really did turn down all endorsement money based on his war exploits. The money he got from the movie he donated to start religious schools in Tennessee. The home that Tennessee gave him and Gracie came with a mortgage, and in addition York was hounded for the last half of his life by the IRS. President John F. Kennedy called it "a national disgrace", and finally put an end to it.

Unlike most heroes portrayed in the movies, the closer you look at the real Alvin C. York, the more heroic a man he appears to be.