The Black Panthers: A Story of Race, War, and Courage—the 761st Tank Battalion in World War II

Known as the first
African American armored unit to see combat in World War II and as future
baseball star Jackie Robinson's one-time outfit, the 761st Tank Battalion
emerged from the adversity of Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Led by a small cadre of
white and black officers, the men trained to the pinnacle of their craft to
fight a common enemy. The Black Panthers, as their unit insignia designated,
proved their battle prowess on the parched Texas training fields against units
bound for combat. The 761st earned a coveted assignment to fight under General
George S. Patton to fight 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 vindicated their losses. Battle-hardened, the tankers
saw intense fighting through November and as well as December when Germany
launched its last-ditch offensive through the Ardennes. The 761st fought
side-by-side with Patton's Third Army. Moving through deep snow against uncertain
opposition, 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 not
consulted in previous accounts and interviews with surviving soldiers and family
members. The author describes the unit--its training, deployment, combat, and
notably its men, such as Sergeant 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 endures.