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761st Tank Battalion (United States)

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  • Ruben Rivers, SSG (1921 - 1944)
    Ruben Rivers (1921-November 19, 1944) was a Staff Sergeant in the 761st Tank Battalion, black tank battalion which served with distinction in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Sgt...
  • Jackie Robinson (1919 - 1972)
    Jackie Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball (MLB) player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. As the first bla...

The 761st Tank Battalion was a separate tank battalion of the United States Army during World War II. The 761st was made up primarily of African-American soldiers, who by War Department policy were not permitted to serve alongside white troops; the U.S. military did not officially desegregate until after World War II. The 761st were known as the Black Panthers after their unit's distinctive insignia, which featured a black panther's head; their motto was "Come out fighting". The battalion received a Presidential Unit Citation for its actions. In addition, a large number of individual members also received medals, including one Medal of Honor, 11 Silver Stars and about 300 Purple Hearts.

A monument dedicated to the 761st Tank Battalion was unveiled at Fort Hood, Texas, during a ceremony attended by surviving veterans on 10 November 2005, as a permanent tribute to soldiers who had served and continued to serve throughout the world for liberty, honor, and democracy. The monument features four black granite tablets surrounding a life-size marble sculpture of a 761st Tank Battalion fighter kneeling atop a black granite pedestal engraved with a tank on the front and a panther on the back.

The monument is located on 761st Tank Battalion Drive.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/761st_Tank_Battalion_(United_States)