In a Segregated Military, the African American Armored Unit That
Helped Patton Check the German Advance, Close the Rhine Ring, and
Spearhead a New Postwar Army
Known primarily for being the first African American armored unit to see
combat in World War II and as future baseball star Jackie Robinson's
onetime outfit, the 761st Tank Battalion was forged in a devil's
cauldron of heat and prejudice at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Here, most
viewed the tankers as tokens in a racial experiment, rather than as
fellow American soldiers who would actually be deployed to fight a
common enemy. Led by a small cadre of white and black officers, the
761st trained to the pinnacle of its craft. The Black Panthers, as they
soon were called, proved their battle prowess against other units bound
for combat on the parched Texas training fields. For this, they earned a
coveted assignment to fight under General George S. Patton and go
head-to-head with the best of Hitler's arsenal. Moving to the front in
November 1944, trial by fire soon shook the unit to its core. Ambushed
by a veteran German force, the 761st suffered heavy casualties in the
confusion as they cut their way out of the trap. But the men rallied to
overcome self-doubt and vindicate their losses. Quickly battle hardened,
the tankers saw intense combat through November and when Germany
launched its last-ditch offensive through the Ardennes in December, the
761st fought side-by-side with Patton's Third Army. Moving swiftly, the
unit helped check the German advance, cut resupply routes to the forces
surrounding beleaguered Bastogne, and drove the enemy back, recapturing
towns crucial to the final defeat of Germany.
In The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War, and Courage--the 761st
Tank Battalion in World War II, historian Gina M. DiNicolo tells the
full and unvarnished history of this important American fighting force.
Relying on extensive archival research, including documents that had not
been consulted in previous accounts, and interviews with surviving
soldiers and family members, the author describes the unit's training,
deployment, combat, and individuals, such as Sgt. Ruben Rivers, one of
only seven African American men awarded the Medal of Honor for World War
II heroism. The professionalism, dedication, and courage of the 761st
and other non-white units made clear that the strength of the American
army in the future lay with integration--one of the enduring
accomplishments of these servicemen.
