Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1944-12-30
Many Stories Of
Heroisn1 With }rd
Army Are Told
Brave Sergeant
Gets Silver Star
For Leadership

WITH THE y. S. THIRD ARMY
Many stories of heroism and
bravery developed about the 76lst
Tank Battalion. the first Negro
armored unit to enter combat dur
ing its first ten days of battle with
Major General Willard S. Pauls
26th Division. The tankers served
as one of the spearhead elements
in the divisions drive to its initial
objective, which was taken Nov.
20.
Among them, the featS of Staff
Sergeant Ruben Rivers, Route l.
Box 81, Tecumseh, Okla, son of
Mrs. Lillian Rivers, stand out like
a beacon. The daring tank COM
mander was awarded the Silver
Star following the Staying of an
estimated two hundred or more
Germans. He took his tank into
| the thick of every battle and it be-
came a popular theme that when
Company A entered battle, Rivers
led the way" for he was always
there first.
GETS SILVER STAR
A few days after Lieut. Colonel
Hollis A. Hunt, commander of the
761st pinned the Silver Star on
Sergeant Rivers, his unit again
went into battle at Geubling, a
key communications point for Ger
man lines between Chateau-Sa-
Inns and Saarburg, Rivers tank hit
nine and was knocked out. He
climbed out of the disabled tank,
got into another, and continued
fighting.
Private First Glass Obie J. Smith
quiet young fellow who came to
the Army from the little town of
Leevale, West Va. is the gunner of
a light tank in Lieutenant Richard
English's company. On D-Day for
the unit, Smith one of the most
accurate gunners in the company,
personally accounted for twenty
Germans killed. He is married to
Mrs. Marie Smith, of Leevael, and
his parents, Mr.. and Mrs. Isom
Smith, reside at Laing, West Va.
MOST FEARLESS
Sergeant Warren Creecy of Cor
pus Christi, Texas, won the repu-
tation of being the most fearless
man in his company by his repeat
ed exposures of his person to en-
envy fire as he rescued fellow tank
ers, provided protection for infan-
try units, and performed other
feats of valor which have won
commentator for him.
On November 10 at Morville the
battalions tough spot. Sergeant
Creecy returned through enemy
positions under heavy artillery to
get aid to his men after his tank
had been disabled by anti-tank
fire. He then led other tanks to q
point from which destructive fire
could be brought upon the enemy.
A few minutes later he mounted
the lack ack" gun of another We
hiclc and while still under fire aid
ed in the humiliation of enemy
artillery observers who directed
the fire that pinned down our in
fantry. This permitted the ground
| units to move forward
FORGOT SAFETY
The day before. Sergeant Creecy
had moved ahead of the infantry
without regard for his personal
safety and destroyed German ma
chinegun positions and Jerry roc
ket-launcher teams. Then when his
on tank moved down in the mud,
he dismounted and performed OPP
erations leading to the extraction
of the tank. He then mounted the
rear of the tank and held his AA
gun on enemy positions to protect
AN infantry unit. He personally
eradicated the enemy guns.
Crew members of Sergeant Gre
ecy,s tank include Sergeant Roy
L. Robinson, of 389 Warren Ave.
Spartanburg, S. c., the driver and
Private First Glass Raymond G
johnson, 2023 Grey Ave. Evanston,
Ill, gunner
In the same area. the crew of
tank commander Staff Sergeant
Jack Gilbert distnollnted and re-
captured their tank, after it had
been hit and taken by the Ger
mans.
GRABS TOMMY GUN
Squirting his men to keep moving
forward, Liuet. English, command
er of the company took a tommy
gun from one of the tanks, and
proceed on foot to perform re-
connaisance to direct the move
| ment of his unit. He is former
instructor in the Hoffman School
New Orleans, and made his home
at 705 Vernon st. a graduate Of
billiard University, he is married to
Mrs Loretta English and is the fa-
Their of three sons, Richard, Jr.,
Ernest and James.
Characteristic of the attitude OF
these new arrivals to the combat
scene was their reaction when
ToV~rxy r,,,,c Iao1anEo foonnc