The 761st Tank Battalion was one of the lead elements of General Patton's push into Germany during the last months of World War II. They were sort of a hybrid unit that was spread out among infantry units, designed to work with infantry. This simple fact would have hurt their unit's fame if they had been an all-white unit - their actions were just tossed in with other unit's statistics they fought with for just a few days. But, when you toss in the obvious racism of the day (multiple citations were sent up the chain of command, only to be tossed in the trash or ignored. This was corrected in the 1990's by an independent commission), you can see why no one heard of these soldiers. I heard Kareem speak last week in Beverly Hills and he talked about this , saying that most white people had never heard of the 761st. Well I had to admit to being a white person who had not, so I read his book. The thing of course, that sets the 761st apart from other brave troops who saw vicious combat and were killed and maimed is the despicable and unfathomable way they were treated by both civilians and white fellow troops at all points at all times. It's so frustrating and sad and I got teary on several occasions. So anything to do with that subject was very effective. What keeps me from giving it a higher rating is sentences like these: If you could choose which two limbs got blown off, what would you go for?’ Danny said. ‘Your arms or your legs?’ Abdul-Jabar does not pull any punches in this book. His words are vivid and work efficiently in sharing the facts with the audience in addition to creating a narrative with melodic flow. Entrenched in the nonsensical racism of their day, the 761st experienced their hardest battles at home, in the US. Seeing the contrast in their treatment abroad versus their treatment in the US, and by White US soldiers, gives the reader a true sense of how these men redefined what it means to be patriotic. These men fought for a country they loved despite the complexities of such a love—despite being hated, treated poorly, and viewed as less than human due to the color of their skin. This is the American history we need to be more present in our educational system and media, because overall, this is a story of human achievement and empathy. This is a poignant story of the young men’s pure innocence, their loss of innocence seeing their friends’ tragic demise, their unthinkingly, enthusiastic and eager readiness to take part in warfare, and the unfortunate racialization experienced. Yet, it made them tough, self-aware, and disciplined. Their camaraderie made them brothers.

Brothers in Arms by James Holland | Waterstones Brothers in Arms by James Holland | Waterstones

Through compelling eye-witness testimony and James Holland's expert analysis, Brothers In Arms brings to vivid life the final bloody scramble across Europe and gives the most powerful account to date of what it was really like to fight in the dying days of World War Two.Tom Marcus, bestselling author of Soldier Spy and Capture or Kill At times darkly funny, at times tragic, this is a powerful and honest book about the British soldier, about the reality of conflict and the struggles some face when they come home. Although the men said they would never return to Louisiana or Texas, surviving veterans attended a monument memorial dedicated to the 761st Tank Battalion at Fort Hood, Texas, on November 10, 2005. The monument is located on 761st Tank Battalion Drive. The townspeople were hospitable and apologized for their family members’ behavior during the 1940s. Turns out that he is also a thoughtful, active man with an interest in social justice and history. That's where this book comes in. The 761st Tank Battalion was brought to his attention because, it turns out, he knew one of its members growing up - he just didn't know his story. Major Adam Jowett, bestselling author of No Way Out A gritty, brutal book about men at war. Raw and real. Brilliant.

Brothers in Arms by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Walton Brothers in Arms by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Anthony Walton

When honor and glory get your squad killed and your brothers-in-arms shoved under the rug, you stop believing in the terms.” A touching profile of men who fought overt and subtle racism for the chance to prove their mettle, and a poignant reminder of the unreasonable prejudices of that era that almost kept them on the sidelines.”— Sacramento Bee The men experienced painful memories of innate hostility from the civilian population during Basic Training at camps in Louisiana and Texas. In addition, there was something amiss about parity and respect from their white peers and commanding officers. The exceptions were Lieutenant Paul L. Bates and Captain David Williams who developed a close and harmonious relationship with the men. Villagers and townspeople in Europe greeted the Tank Battalion with warmth and respect.

I was fascinated to learn Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s personal history; that his father was a cop in NYC who served with one of these heroes on the Department. But Kareem and Walton needed to do a better job of researching what I will call the technical aspects of armored combat during World War II. Calling a German tank a "panzer tank" is like calling a horse a "horse animal." Also, there was no such thing as a "Mark IV Panther." The Mark III and Mark IV were the mainstay of the German armed forces for most of the war. The much more powerful Mark V was the Panther, and its design was inspired by the excellent Soviet T-34. The famous and even more powerful Tiger was the Mark VI. I just finished ‘The Infantry’s Armor’ by Yeide and I hoped this would bring me from the general to the specific. Yeide lays out the actions of all the independent tanks battalions including the 761st.