The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-07-07
Forty Heroes Of Tank Warfare
Awarded Decorations In Austria

WITH THE u. S. THIRD ARMY
IN AUSTRIA - DELAYED - For
~ heroes OF battle action with the
76lst Tank Battalion. first tank bat
talon ever 10 enter combat with
all-Negro enlisted personnel and
mixed staff. recently received
awards and decorations from Major
General Willard G.. Wyman. COM
handing general of the Xxx Corps
list Infantry Division. with which
they finished the war against Ger
many. Men Of the 76lst spear
headed the lists drive for a dis
lance OF 465 miles. from the Rhine
at Oppenheim 10 the May 6 iunc-
ton with elements OF Field Marsha,
Kon!ev's First UkranIan Army al
the Enn river near Steyr. Austria
The forty officers and enlisted men
received the Bronze Star Medal.
Three other officers and four
enlisted men had received the
award of the Silver Star. three
posthumously, and one in "abSen-
tia"
IND 1T WARREN G. II. CRECY,
~ Corpus Christi. Texas. Sgt. Erwin
Latimore Salem. n c
and Pfc George c Blake Of Worth
ington Ohio. were presented with
me Silver Star Capt. David J
Williams, II Of Pittsburgh. Pa. re.
ceived the Silver Star. in absen-
ia To lSt 1t, Kenneth w. Cole
man, Washington. d. c.. LIST Sgt
Samuel j. Turley, the Bronx. N. Y.
and Staff Sgt Reuben Rivers of
lecumSeh Okla, went posthumous
awards OF the Silver Star.
Among the 40 who received the
Bronze Star was the COMMANDING
OFFICER Of The 76lst Tank Battalion
eX-All- American grid star. Lt-Col
Paul L. Bates OF Boonton. ". j
who commanded the now-famous
Task Force Rhine which battered
through the toughest part of the
Siegfried Lines mountain defense
Dell IN tho Nieder Schlettenbach-
helSdort-khnSenmunster area COL
onel Bates tankers supported the
Second Battalion OF the lO3rd In
fantrv DIVISIONS 409th Regiment
which vas reinforced by 2 detach-
ment OF engineers and a reconnais.
Sance platoon from the all-Negro
6l4th Tank DESTROYER Battalion
Ihey accomplished this mission in
three days, knocking open a bi,
mole through which passed the i4,h
Armored Division on March "a
Others awarded the Bronze Star
were:
Capt Garland y. Adamson. 5734
;. Parkway. Chicago. Ill. tBatta-
lion Surgeon.
Capt. Charles 4. Gates. 200, F.
24th Terrace. Kansas City. Mo.
Company Commander.
Capt Philip w. Latimer. Route
!. Box 185. Silesbee. Texas. Bat
talon supply Officerl.
Capt. william l.. O'Dea. 10 Var
sity road, Newark. \. j. tBattaI-
ion Motor Officerl.
Capt. Leonard r. TAYLOR. 100
Cannon avenue. Sc. Atlanta.
ga. Asst. Battalion S-5 4 Air
Communication Officer,.
lst Lieut.. Thomas r. Bruce. .OS
North Lincoln street. Fort Scott.
KanS.
lst Lent Harold Kingsley. S7I2
Prairie Ave, Chicago. m.
End Lieut.. Frank {. Cochrane,
81 Beekman street, Beacon, ~. Y.
End Lieut.. Moses e. Dade, 1908
First street, NV. Washington.
DC.
End Lieut.. Joseph A. Tates. ZOE
Brunes street. Baltimore. Md.
Chief Warrant Officer James F..
Williams. S39' Woodrow avenue.
Detroit. Mich.
MAJOR RUSSELL c. GEIST of
Upper Darby Pa. executive officer
Of ne battalion. received a cluster
to = Bronze Star Medal previously
awarded Major GelSt, Capts. Lat
lTcr and O'Dca are white: the re-
naming officers arc Negroes.
The following enlisted men also
received the Bronze Star.
M-Ssk Ernest n. Hill. 6449
Vernon avenue. Chicago. Ill.
T.-Sgt William n. Newkirk.