November 1944

Self-taught surgical technician Vivien Thomas, working without a medical degree or equal pay, developed the surgical procedure to correct Tetralogy of Fallot ('blue baby syndrome') in partnership with Johns Hopkins surgeon Alfred Blalock. Thomas trained the surgeons who performed the operation and his portrait now hangs in Johns Hopkins Hospital alongside Blalock's.

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.

His technique and instruments enable the landmark Blalock-Thomas-Taussig heart operation at Johns Hopkins.