Brothers in Arms: One Legendary Tank Regiment's Bloody War from D-Day to VE-Day

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Thanks to the mangled remains of a Jackal vehicle left tactlessly outside their tent, IEDs were never far from their mind. It was an all-black unit of skilled tankers who earned the respect of their commanders and commanders of other units whom they supported. Trained essentially as a public relations gesture to maintain the support of the black community for the war, the battalion was never intended to see battle. I recommend for readers of WWII history and African-American history; as well as fans of "Band of Brothers" and "Patton.

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

In addition, there was something amiss about parity and respect from their white peers and commanding officers. The story pulls no punches as it describes the struggles the unit faced on the home front as well as the war. Within days they’d be on the ground in Musa Qala with the rest of 3 Platoon – a mixed bunch of men Gez would die for. A powerful wartime saga recounting the extraordinary story of the 761st Tank Battalion, the first all-black armored unit to see combat in World War II.The men experienced painful memories of innate hostility from the civilian population during Basic Training at camps in Louisiana and Texas. Entrenched in the nonsensical racism of their day, the 761st experienced their hardest battles at home, in the US. They fought bravely in the Saar Offensive - which is often overlooked in history books and curricula - then participated in the Battle of the Bulge. likewise, amid the numbers that demarcate hills of military deployments, Holland takes us down to the individual's experience. They would be placed alongside an all-white unit whose reactions to them ranged from caution to outright contempt, and win most of them over with their courage, skill, dedication and humanity, demolishing stereotypes that blacks weren't brave or intelligent enough fight or lead.

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

million Black American men served and fought in the US military, and despite hundreds of well-documented stories of self-sacrifice by these men, not one of them were awarded the Medal of Honor. 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. Yet, these young men were resilient and steadfast in the military performance while also dealing the American tradition of racism. In WWII, there were 433 Medals of Honor awarded to American military personnel for their self-sacrificing acts of heroism.They fought for weeks and months without more than a day's break from combat, adequate winter clothing or even a change of uniform.