Sergeant York (1941)

Last night, after a lot of talking about it, Brandon and I finally sat down and watched the Sergeant York movie with Gary Cooper playing the main role. Growing up, this was always such a big deal in the family, as it was part of who we were, and what we came from. It was always something to be proud of, and know, this is what made us who we were. Or a part of it anyway. We were a humble, Southern mountain family, raised on legends of Daniel Boone, and worked by the sweat of our brow. And it came around, full circle, with this particular story (almost a legend in and of itself). The story itself is remarkable, as it recounts a man's struggle with his faith, and answering the call of his country. He simply wanted to do the right thing. It's a story of a "small" man caught up in a big problem, and how he rose to the occasion. He did everything in his power to do the best he could. Even after The Great War, he came home and did what he could to bring education and means of making a living to the children of his community. He only ever wanted to help, and even in the midst of a war, that was his end goal.

Yeah, I know, I'm a bit biased, because it is family heritage. But it doesn't make what happened any less remarkable. And, it was important to me to share that with Brandon, because, well, it's the family legacy that's being meshed together. And if/when we have children, this will be part of their heritage too. That has always been important to me, because it's a good story. It's one of hope, and remembering that even the little guy can achieve something big, all he has to do is set his mind to it.

Not to mention, now, a little older and a little wiser, with a little more education, and a bit more knowledge of the world, watching this movie again, I caught so much more about so many things. So many historical and cultural notes I didn't catch watching this as a kid. It makes a world of difference when watching it.

While I was away, I always found it somewhat remarkable that, as far as I know, the last time a York set foot in France, it was to fight a war. Almost 100 years later, the next time a York did that, it was to travel and go to school. I always felt like my year away maybe played into that legacy somehow. It may not be remembered on a mass level, no one may never write books or movies about me and my life, but for my heritage, and the legacy I grew up with, that was how I fit in to it.

I never made it to Chatel Cherey, where all of this went down (though I wanted to, and I contacted an organization about information on that place itself). I will one day though. And making it to Pall Mall, Tennessee is far more feasible. I want to see all these things of legend I was always raised hearing about. I want to be able to see something tangible to where I came from, and maybe things will make a bit more sense about why I am where I am now.

I'm glad I finally got to share this with Brandon. It always meant so much to me, but now it's something that's part of not just my family, but our family. It's a truly special thing, to me.