The 761st Tank Battalion

                Probably the most famous segregated Army unit in WWII was the 761^st Tank Battalion.  The unit was nicknamed the “Black Panthers” and its motto was “Come Out Fighting”.  It was created in March, 1942 and trained in the south where it encountered the racism common in that area.  Its most famous member was 1^st Lt. Jackie Robinson.  During training, Robinson refused to move to the back of a bus and was arrested by military police.  His commanding officer refused to order a court martial, but the base commander transferred him to another battalion where he was charged but not convicted.  In October, 1944 the unit was sent to France and placed in General Patton’s Third Army.  Using M4 Sherman tanks, the Black Panthers carved out an enviable combat record.  It participated in the Battle of the Bulge and pushed deep into Germany before the war ended.  For one stretch of 183 days, it was in continuous combat.  The unit received a belated Presidential Unit Citation by Pres. Carter in 1978.  Eleven members were awarded Silver Stars during the war and over 300 received the Purple Heart for being wounded.  One member, Ruben Rivers, was awarded the Medal of Honor as part of a group of seven African-American soldiers given the award in 1997 by Pres. Clinton.  (These were the first African-Americans given the award for WWII.)  Rivers was a tank commander who gave his life fighting for his country.  Here is his medal citation:

During the daylight attack … Staff Sergeant Rivers, a tank platoon sergeant, was in the lead tank when a road block was encountered which held up the advance. With utter disregard for his personal safety, Staff Sergeant Rivers courageously dismounted from his tank in the face of directed enemy small arms fire, attached a cable to the road block and moved it off the road, thus permitting the combat team to proceed. His prompt action thus prevented a serious delay in the offensive action and was instrumental in the successful assault and capture of the town. His brilliant display of initiative, courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Staff Sergeant Rivers and the armed forces of the United States.

^–  Wikipedia