Overview

In 1941, the U.S. Army activated the 758th Tank Battalion, the first all-black armored unit. By December 1944 they were fighting the Axis in Northern Italy, from the Ligurian Sea through the Po Valley and into the Apennine Mountains, where they helped breach the Gothic Line--the Germans' last major defensive line of the Italian Campaign. After the war the 758th was deactivated but was reformed as the 64th Tank Battalion, keeping their distinguished insignia, a tusked elephant head over the motto ""We Pierce."" They entered the Korean War still segregated but returned fully integrated (though discrimination continued internally). Through the years, they fought with almost every American tank--the Stuart, the Sherman, the Pershing, the Patton and today's Abrams. Victorious over two fascist (and racist) regimes, many black servicemen returned home to what they hoped would be a more tolerant nation. Most were bitterly disappointed--segregation was still the law of the land. For many, disappointment became a determination to fight discrimination with the same resolve that had defeated the Axis.

Full Product Details

Author:   Joe Wilson, Jr.
Publisher:   McFarland & Co Inc
Imprint:   McFarland & Co Inc
Dimensions:   Width: 17.80cm , Height: 1.10cm , Length: 25.40cm
Weight:   0.386kg
ISBN:  

9781476669991

ISBN 10:   1476669996
Pages:   214
Publication Date:   24 April 2018
Recommended Age:   From 18 years
Audience:   Professional and scholarly ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Available To Order  
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Table of Contents

Table of Contents Acknowledgments Foreword First Sergeant William Holley (Field Artillery), USA (Ret.) Foreword Captain Matt Hewett (Armor Branch), USA (Ret.) Preface  1. The Shadow of Coming War  2. The Double V Campaign  3. The Lee Street Riot  4. Camp Claiborne  5. Camp Hood  6. Fort Huachuca  7. Return to Camp Hood  8. Camp Patrick Henry  9. Destination Mediterranean Theater of Operations 10. Battle Indoctrination at the Gothic Line 11. Probing the Gothic Line 12. February Offensive 13. Reorganization of the 92nd Infantry Division 14. Spring Offensive 15. Back to the Home Front 16. Whatever Happened to the 761st Tank Battalion? 17. Whatever Happened to the 784th Tank Battalion? 18. Legacy Afterword First Sergeant Joseph E. Wilson, Sr., USA (Ret.) Appendix: Tank Specifications Matt Hewett Chapter Notes Bibliography Index

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Author Information

The son of a tanker in the 758th and 761st, Joe Wilson, Jr., is a systems accountant in Washington, D.C. He has also written for World War II magazine.

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