761st Tank Battalion ( United States ) The 761st Tank Battalion was an independent tank battalion of the United States Army during World War II . The 761st was made up primarily of African - American soldiers , who by federal law were not permitted to serve alongside white troops ; the Army did not officially desegregate until after World War II . They were known as the Black Panthers after their unit ' s distinctive insignia ; their motto was “ Come out fighting ” . Prior to combat . Before and during World War II , American military leaders had reservations about using African American soldiers in combat . General Lesley J . McNair , the commander of Army Ground Forces , successfully argued that " colored " units should be employed in combat . At McNair ' s suggestion , the US Army began to experiment with segregated combat units in 1941 ; the program was supported by , and given national exposure in , " Life " magazine . The 761st was constituted on 15 March 1942 , and activated 1 April 1942 , at Camp Claiborne , Louisiana . The battalion began training in M5 Stuart light tanks . They learned how to maneuver , mount , dismount , and maintain the vehicle ' s 37 mm main gun and . 30 caliber machine guns . Final training was at Fort Hood , Texas , where they were upgraded to the M4 Sherman medium tank , which had a 75 mm main gun , two . 30 caliber machine guns , a . 50 caliber machine gun , and a two - inch smoke mortar . Most of the black tankers had to train in bases located in deep Southern states such as Kentucky , Louisiana , and Texas . In the days before the civil rights advances made in the 1960s , black people were still treated harshly in the south and often considered an inferior race . The men of the 761st trained for almost two years , conscious of the fact that white units were being sent overseas after as little as two or three months . Racial tension . There were many acts of racism , including murder , against all the black battalions by soldiers from nearby Camp Polk and Camp Livingston who visited Alexandria , Louisiana on weekend leave . In March 1943 , several members of the unit were severely beaten and one was killed and found dead on the train tracks in Alexandria . Several members of the 761st vowed to retaliate . They commandeered six tanks and a half - track but were persuaded by Lieutenant Colonel Bates who promised to straighten the situation out . Jackie Robinson confronts bigotry . The most famous member of the 761st was First Lieutenant Jack Robinson . During the 761st ' s training , a white bus driver told Robinson to move to the back of the bus , and Robinson refused . Although his battalion commander , Lieutenant Colonel Paul L . Bates , refused to consider the court - martial charges put forward by the arresting Military Policemen , the base commander transferred Robinson to the 758th Tank Battalion , whose commander was willing to sign the insubordination court - martial order . Robinson was eventually acquitted of all charges , though he never saw combat . After the war he was instrumental in desegregating professional baseball . Deployment . General Ben Lear , Commander of the U . S . Second Army , rated the unit " superior " after a special review and deemed the unit " combat ready " . After a brief deployment to England , the 761st landed in France via Omaha Beach on 10 October 1944 . The unit arrived ( with six white officers , thirty black officers , and 676 black enlisted men ) and was assigned to General George Patton ' s US Third Army at his request , attached to the 26th Infantry Division . The unit traveled from Northern France in October 1944 , to see action in the Rhineland , in the Battle of the Bulge , and in the final months of the war on German soil . Patton . As the 761st was about to enter combat , Patton reviewed the battalion and made a speech to the men which offered a guarded vote of confidence in their abilities : Men , you ' re the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army . I would never have asked for you if you weren ' t good . I have nothing but the best in my Army . I don ' t care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sons of bitches . Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you . Most of all your race is looking forward to your success . Don ' t let them down and damn you , don ' t let me down ! However , like most American military officers of the era , Patton expressed his doubts about using black men in combat . On returning to headquarters following the review , he remarked , " They gave a good first impression , but I have no faith in the inherent fighting ability of the race . " He only put this sentiment aside and accepted the 761st when he desperately needed all the ground power he could get . Even after the war , Patton was not inclined to reform his perception of black soldiers . In " War As I Knew It " , he relates the interaction described above , and comments , " Individually they were good soldiers , but I expressed my belief at the time , and have never found the necessity of changing it , that a colored soldier cannot think fast enough to fight in armor . " Patton biographer Carlo D ' Este explained that " on the one hand he could and did admire the toughness and courage " of some black soldiers , but his writings can also be frequently read as " disdaining them and their officers because they were not part of his social order . " Historian Hugh Cole pointed out that Patton was also the first American military leader to integrate rifle companies " when manpower got tight . " Retired NBA Hall - of - Famer Kareem Abdul - Jabbar , author of " Brothers In Arms : The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion , WWII ' s Forgotten Heroes " , agreed that although Patton was a bigot like most , the fact remains that he did lend his name to the advancement of blacks in the military at the time , unlike most other military officers ( Patton did prevent a black soldier from being lynched while serving as commander of a fort in El Paso before the war ) . Most of the veterans of the 761st that Abdul - Jabbar interviewed stated they were proud to have served under a general widely considered one of the most brilliant and feared Allied military leaders of World War II . During the Battle of the Bulge , German soldiers who had raided American warehouses were reported to have disguised themselves as Americans guarding the checkpoints in order to ambush American soldiers . Patton solved this problem by ordering black soldiers , including the 761st , to guard the checkpoints , and gave the order to shoot any white soldiers at the checkpoints who acted suspiciously . Combat record . The battalion first saw combat on 7 November 1944 , fighting through towns such as Moyenvic , Vic - sur - Seille and Morville - lès - Vic , often at the leading edge of the advance . The unit endured 183 days of continuous operational employment . In November 1944 the unit had suffered 156 casualties ; 24 men killed , 88 wounded , and 44 non - battle . The unit also lost 14 tanks and another 20 damaged in combat . In December , the battalion was rushed to the aid of the 101st Airborne Division at Bastogne . After the Battle of the Bulge , the unit opened the way for the U . S . 4th Armored Division into Germany during an action that breached the Siegfried Line . In the final days of the war in Europe , the 761st was one of the first American units to reach the Steyr in Austria , at the Enns River , where they met with Ukrainians of the Soviet Army . The 761st was deactivated 1 June 1946 in Germany . Medal of Honor for Ruben Rivers . For unusual heroism in serving with Company A of the 761st , the Medal of Honor was awarded posthumously to Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers in 1997 . Official Citation : For extraordinary heroism in action during the 15 – 19 November 1944 , toward Guebling , France . Though severely wounded in the leg , Sergeant Rivers refused medical treatment and evacuation , took command of another tank , and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day . Repeatedly refusing evacuation , Sergeant Rivers continued to direct his tank ' s fire at enemy positions through the morning of 19 November 1944 . At dawn , Company A ' s tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff [ " sic " , correct name is Bourgaltroff ] , but were stopped by enemy fire . Sergeant Rivers , joined by another tank , opened fire on the enemy tanks , covering company A as they withdrew . While doing so , Sergeant River ' s tank was hit , killing him and wounding the crew . Staff Sergeant Rivers ' fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify the highest traditions of military service . " Baddest Man in the 761st " . Tank commander Sergeant Warren G . H . Crecy came to the aid of his men on 10 November 1944 , and fought through enemy positions until his tank was destroyed . He eliminated an enemy position that had knocked out his tank by commandeering a vehicle armed with only a . 30 - caliber machine gun . He then eliminated the German forward observers who were directing artillery fire on the US positions . After manning a replacement tank , Crecy ' s new vehicle lost traction in heavy mud and he was forced to exit the tank under fierce machine gun , antitank , and artillery fire to free the tracks . When attacked by German infantry , he had to abandon his salvage efforts to man the . 50 - caliber machine gun , effectively holding off the advancing enemy , then forcing them to withdraw . Described as a baby - faced , " quiet , easy - going , meek - looking fellow " , Crecy had destroyed an antitank position and a number of German machine gun positions armed only with a machine gun and without regard for his personal safety , under heavy fire . His men reportedly experienced difficulty getting the machine gun away from him after the action . Crecy was nominated for the Medal of Honor and received a battlefield commission , eventually retiring with the rank of Major . His heroic actions earned him the title " Baddest Man in the 761st " from his comrades . Presidential Unit Citation . After decades of racial tensions in the United States began to ease , the battalion was belatedly awarded the Presidential Unit Citation by President Jimmy Carter on 24 January 1978 , for their World War II service . The 761st Tank Battalion ' s award became official on 10 April 1978 by the Department of the Army under . After World War II . Returning soldiers of African - American units ( the 761st had been the first of many segregated combat units , including the 92nd Infantry Division and the famous Tuskegee Airmen ) often did not receive a warm welcome home as most white units did . Their unequal treatment was a source of much disappointment and discouragement . However , the distinguished service of many black combat units helped convince the government , now under President Harry S . Truman , to finally desegregate the US Armed Forces soon after the war ended . On 24 November 1947 , the 761st was reactivated ( as an integrated unit ) at Fort Knox , Kentucky , and assigned to the Regular Army , where it served until again deactivated on 15 March 1955 . Permanent monument . 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 have served and continue 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 . Awards . Countries : France , Belgium , Holland , Luxembourg , Germany , and Austria . Dramatizations and portrayals . In 1992 , a documentary titled " " was produced . The documentary depicted the battalion ' s liberation of concentration camps during 1945 , but was criticized for misidentifying the precise units and camps involved . Most recently , Steven A . White executive produced an independent , feature length , high definition documentary on the 761st Tank Battalion . The film , entitled " 761st " is written , produced , and directed by Pete Chatmon and produced by 761st Tank Battalion unit historian , Wayne Robinson . It features interviews with eleven combat veterans of the 761st and is narrated by Andre Braugher . Several of the later episodes of The History Channel series " Patton 360 " featured 761st veteran William McBurney who related his experiences with the battalion in the Lorraine Campaign , the Battle of the Bulge , and in the ultimate conquest of the German homeland . A 1993 episode of " Law & Order " titled " Profile " featured a 72 year - old assault victim played by Joe Seneca who credited his experiences with the 761st for saving his life . In an episode of " The Cosby Show " , Cliff Huxtable and some male friends are discussing their military experiences and one of them describes in detail his World War II exploits as a member of the 761st Tank Battalion . Actor Morgan Freeman and Kareem Abdul - Jabbar are co - producing a new movie about the 761st , based on Jabbar ’ s and co - writer Anthony Walton ' s 2004 book , " Brothers in Arms " . On 15 December 2006 , Freeman discussed the film and working with Will Smith , and possibly Denzel Washington , on it in the near future . In the science - fiction novel , " The Light of Men " ( 2008 ) by Andrew Salmon , the 761st liberate the fictional concentration camp of " Gutundbose " in which the story is set . In the 1981 police mystery " Chiefs " , written by Stuart Woods , and the CBS mini - series of the same name , the 761st is mentioned as the unit of the ill - fated black mechanic Marshall Parker , killed after being arrested on false pretenses by Sonny Butts and Charley Ward , beaten and shot . Later , it is revealed as having been the unit of the new black police chief of Delano , GA , Tucker Watts , who was once , much earlier , known as Willie Cole , whose father had murdered Delano ' s first chief of police , Will Henry Lee .