Ruben Rivers Ruben Rivers ( 1921 – November 19 , 1944 ) was a Staff Sergeant in the 761st Tank Battalion , a black tank battalion which served with distinction in the European Theater of Operations during World War II . Sgt . Rivers , who was half - Cherokee , was one of seven African - American soldiers to receive the Medal of Honor , although this official recognition of their heroic actions was not made until 1997 . Pre - war life . Rivers was born to Willie and Lillian Rivers in 1921 in Tecumseh , Oklahoma . He grew up in nearby Hotulka , where , along with his eleven brothers and sisters , he worked on the family farm . After graduating from high school , Rivers worked on the railroad for a time . World War II service . With the United States ' entry into World War II on behalf of the Allied cause , Rivers and two of his brothers , Robert and Dewey , would offer their services to the military . Ruben would be the only one assigned to a combat unit however , training with the 761st Tank Battalion at Camp Hood in Texas . Nicknamed the “ Black Panthers , ” they were eventually assigned to General George S . Patton ' s US Third Army . Despite Patton ' s racism , the battalion was implemented and performed with distinction in a number of important battles , although Patton himself never officially recognized their accomplishments . Rivers would play a critical role in some of the earliest action the 761st would see , becoming the battalion ' s initial hero , but also one of its first casualties . Shortly after arriving in Europe in the fall of 1944 , the 761st was chosen by Patton to be part of his Saar Campaign in the Allied drive to the Siegfried Line . On November 8 , 1944 , Rivers and the others in the 761 Able Company were launched with the 104th Infantry Regiment in an attack on German positions near Vic - sur - Seille in northeastern France . As they approached the town via a narrow road , a roadblock improvised by the Germans using a felled tree and several mines stopped the progress of the tanks and infantry . The Germans soon trained their mortar and rifle fire on infantrymen stranded in the roadside ditches , and the situation threatened to produce heavy casualties very quickly . Rivers , positioned in the lead tank , realized that following protocol would fail to alleviate the situation . Instead he took action that resulted in the battalion ' s first Silver Star . His heroic efforts are recounted below in the official medal citation : During the daylight attack . . . Staff Sergeant Rivers , a tank platoon sergeant , was in the lead tank when a road block was encountered which held up the advance . With utter disregard for his personal safety , Staff Sergeant Rivers courageously dismounted from his tank in the face of directed enemy small arms fire , attached a cable to the road block and moved it off the road , thus permitting the combat team to proceed . His prompt action thus prevented a serious delay in the offensive action and was instrumental in the successful assault and capture of the town . His brilliant display of initiative , courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Staff Sergeant Rivers and the armed forces of the United States . Unfortunately , the medal would have to be awarded posthumously . A little more than a week later Rivers would again distinguish himself leading the platoon , but this time he himself would not be so fortunate . On November 16 Able Company , with Rivers in the lead tank , would lead another assault . This time the target was German positions in Guebling . On the way into the town , Rivers ' tank hit a mine , disabling it and leaving Rivers with a significant injury . Shrapnel had cut his leg from knee to thigh and as deep as the bone . His commanding officer , Captain David J . Williams , later remembered what happened when he and the rest of the company came to aid Rivers : With the morphine needle in my right hand about a half inch from Sergeant Rivers ' leg , I could have told my sergeant to hold him down . I said , “ Ruben , you ' re going back . You ' ve got a million - dollar wound . You ' re going back to Tecumseh . You ' re getting out of this . You got a Silver Star and a Purple Heart . ” He says , “ Captain , you ' re going to need me . ” I said , “ I ' m giving you a direct order ! You ' re going back ! ” I said , Medics , get the stretcher . ” He pushed the needle away and got up . He said , “ This is one order , the only order I ' ll ever disobey . ” Allowing the medics to only clean and dress the wound , Rivers took command of another tank and , as the Germans had begun to mark the area for heavy artillery fire , moved to take cover with the rest of Able Company . It would not be until the morning of November 19 that the 761st would again push forward , but by now Rivers condition had seriously deteriorated . A dangerous infection had developed , threatening the loss of life and limb , and the wound was visibly causing a great deal of pain . Rivers had been urged to evacuate the night before , but he had again refused to leave the field . As usual his tank led the way , but while advancing toward German positions near the town of Bougaltroff the Panthers came under extraordinarily heavy fire . Williams ordered the remaining tanks to pull back , but Rivers had located the German anti - tank unit and , with one other tank , moved to fire on the area and cover the retreat . In the process , Rivers was fully exposed , and the Germans quickly trained their fire on his tank , landing two direct hits with high - explosive shells . Rivers was killed instantly . Rivers ' final acts which demonstrated a profound loyalty to his fellow soldiers and dedication to the war effort , and earned him the military ' s highest award , the Medal of Honor . However , although Captain Williams recommended Rivers for the award on November 20 , 1944 , it would not come until more than fifty years later . Rivers ' story is indicative of the lack of recognition afforded to African - American soldiers who served during World War II . Of the 433 Medals of Honor awarded to World War II servicemen , none went to an African - American , although over a million served in the armed forces . On January 13 , 1997 some of these omissions were rectified when President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to the families of six African - American servicemen and one living veteran . Grace Woodfork , one of Rivers ' sisters , received her brother ' s medal in his stead . Also on hand was Captain Williams who had continued to fight for recognition of Rivers ' heroism after the war . Williams underscored the past racism of the armed forces when asked why the medal had not been awarded sooner ; “ It is obvious . He was a Negro . ” Honors . Among his other honors , Staff Sergeant Rivers Court in El Paso , Texas is named after Rivers .