By Jennifer Kohlhepp, Managing Editor
The Army Historical Foundation recognized a borough native’s book as an outstanding achievement in writing on U.S. Army history published in 2014.
Retired Gen. William Hartzog announced Col. Douglas V. Mastriano as one of the winners of the 2014 Army Historical Foundation (AHF) Distinguished Writing Awards for “Alvin York: A New Biography of the Hero of the Argonne” at the AHF’s eighteenth annual members’ meeting held earlier this year at the Army Navy Country Club in Arlington, Virginia.
Published by the University Press of Kentucky, the biography delves into the life story of Alvin C. York (1887–1964), a devout Christian, conscientious objector, and reluctant hero of World War I.
Known to generations through Gary Cooper’s Academy Award-winning portrayal in the 1941 film “Sergeant York,” Mr. York is credited with the capture of 132 German soldiers on Oct. 8, 1918, in the Meuse-Argonne region of France — a deed for which he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.
Since a fierce disagreement about the location of the battle in the Argonne forest complicated the soldier’s legacy, Col. Mastriano sets to sorting out fact from myth by reviewing artifacts recovered from the battlefield using military terrain analysis, forensic study, and research in both German and American archives. The author reconstructs the events of Oct. 8 and corroborates the recorded accounts. As a book award winner, Col. Mastriano received a plaque honoring the book and a $1,000 cash award.
The AHF is a nonprofit, tax-exempt organization dedicated to preserving the history and heritage of the American soldier. Its goal is to promote greater public appreciation for the contributions that America’s Army has made to the nation in 238 years of service. The foundation is the principal fundraiser to build the National Museum of the United States Army, which will be located at Fort Belvoir, Virginia.
In addition to fundraising for the National Museum of the United States Army, the foundation’s projects and activities include refurbishment of historical Army buildings; acquisition and conservation of historical art, artifacts, and documents; support of Army history education programs; historical research; publication of historical materials on the American soldier; and providing counsel and support to private and governmental organizations committed to the same goals as the foundation.
The AHF Distinguished Writing Awards program was established in 1997 to recognize authors who make a significant contribution to the literature on U.S. Army history. Each year nominations are submitted to the Awards Committee by publishers and journal editors. A small group of finalists are selected and a final judging is made. The winners are announced at the annual AHF members’ meeting.
For more information on the foundation and its activities, see www.armyhistory.org.
To purchase the book, visit http://www.kentuckypress.com/live/title_detail.php?titleid=3599#.VcD6XaKmFc0.
