761st Tank Battalion 'Black Panthers' enters combat in France

The 761st Tank Battalion — called the 'Black Panthers' — entered combat on November 7, 1944, at Morville-les-Vic, France, becoming the first African American armored unit to see combat in World War II. Attached to Patton's Third Army, they fought 183 consecutive days through six countries, played a key role at the Battle of the Bulge rescuing besieged forces at Bastogne, and earned 391 decorations.