I don’t care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut sons of bitches. I would never have asked for you if you weren’t good. ![]() “Men, you’re the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army. Patton was well known for his colorful personality and upon meeting the troops, exclaimed: In 1944, the 761st was assigned to General George S. However records indicate that the 761st used Sherman and Stuart tanks). (Some have speculated they received the moniker because they were using German Panzer-kampf-wagens, aka Panther tanks. Whether the name or the patch-which sported the slogan “Come Out Fighting”-came first is anyone’s guess. This majority-Black military unit was known by the nickname “Black Panthers” in reference to the the panther patches they wore on their uniforms. One of those 36 officers was baseball star Jackie Robinson, who never saw the European theater due to his refusal to give up his seat on a military bus and subsequent court battle. The 761st Tank Battalion was formed in the spring of 1942 and according to Army historical records, had 30 Black officers, six white officers, and 676 enlisted men. Bates, was well aware of the prevalent racist attitudes towards Black soldiers, and so he pushed the battalion to achieve excellence. However, there were units of African American soldiers-like World War II’s Tuskegee Airmen and the 761st Tank Battalion-that played significant roles in military operations. Black enlistees were generally diverted to segregated units and divisions, mostly in combat support roles. military would remain heavily segregated until 1948, men of all races around the country volunteered for service when Pearl Harbor was attacked in 1941. ![]() The Black Panther logo for the 761st Tank Battalion.
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