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Ruben Rivers


Ruben Rivers was a Staff Sergeant in the the 761st Tank Battalion, a black tank battalion which served with distinction in the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Sgt. Rivers, who was half-Cherokee, and one of seven African-American soldiers to be awarded the Medal of Honor, although this official recognition of their heroic actions was not made until 1997.


Early Life

Ruben Rivers was born to Willie and Lillian Rivers on October 31, 1918, in Tecumseh, Oklahoma. He grew up in nearby Hotulka, where, along with his eleven brothers and sisters, he worked on the family farm. After graduating from high school, Ruben worked on the railroad for a time.


World War II service

After Pearl Harbor, Ruben Rivers and two of his brothers, Robert and Dewey, joined the military. Ruben would be the only one assigned to a combat unit. He trained with the 761st Tank Battalion at Camp Hood in Texas. Nicknamed the “Black Panthers.”

They were eventually assigned to General George S. Patton's U.S. Third Army. The battalion performed with distinction in a number of important battles, although Gen. Patton himself never officially recognized their accomplishments.

Reuben Rivers would play a critical role in some of the earliest action the 761st would see. He became the battalion's initial hero, but also was one of its first casualties. Shortly after arriving in Europe in the fall of 1944, the 761st was chosen by Patton to be part of his Saar Campaign in the Allied drive to the Siegfried Line.


























On November 8, 1944, Staff Sgt. Rivers and the others in the 761st's Able Company were launched with the 104th Infantry Division in an attack on German positions near Vic-sur-Seille in northeastern France.

As Able Company approached the town by way of a narrow road, they came to an improvised roadblock by the Germans using a felled tree and several mines. The "Black Panthers" stopped the progress of the tanks and infantry. The Germans opened their mortar and rifle fire on infantrymen who found themselves stranded in the roadside ditches. The situation threatened to produce heavy casualties very quickly. Ruben Rivers was positioned in the lead tank. He realized that following protocol would fail to alleviate the situation. Instead he took action that resulted in the battalion's first Silver Star. His heroic efforts are recounted below in the official medal citation:

"During the daylight attack... Staff Sergeant Rivers, a tank platoon sergeant, was in the lead tank when a road block was encountered which held up the advance. With utter disregard for his personal safety, Staff Sergeant Rivers courageously dismounted from his tank in the face of directed enemy small arms fire, attached a cable to the road block and moved it off the road, thus permitting the combat team to proceed. His prompt action thus prevented a serious delay in the offensive action and was instrumental in the successful assault and capture of the town. His brilliant display of initiative, courage and devotion to duty reflect the highest credit upon Staff Sergeant Rivers and the armed forces of the United States."

























Unfortunately, the medal would have to be awarded posthumously. A little more than a week later Sgt. Rivers would again distinguish himself leading the platoon, but this time he himself would not be so fortunate.

On November 16 Able Company, with Staff Sergeant Rivers in the lead tank, would lead another assault. The target was German positions in Guebling. On the way into the town, Sgt. Rivers' tank hit a mine, disabling it and leaving him with significant injury. Shrapnel had cut his leg from knee to thigh and as deep as the bone.

His commanding officer, Captain David J. Williams, later remembered what happened when he and the rest of the company came to aid Rivers: "With the morphine needle in my right hand about a half inch from Sergeant Rivers' leg, I could have told my sergeant to hold him down. I said, “Ruben, you're going back. You've got a million-dollar wound. You're going back to Tecumseh. You're getting out of this. You got a Silver Star and a Purple Heart.” He says, “Captain, you're going to need me.” I said, “I'm giving you a direct order! You're going back!” I said, Medics, get the stretcher.” He pushed the needle away and got up. He said, “This is one order, the only order I'll ever disobey.”

Allowing the medics to only clean and dress the wound, Sgt. Rivers took command of another tank and, as the Germans had begun to mark the area for heavy artillery fire, moved to take cover with the rest of Able Company. It would not be until the morning of November 19 that the 761st would again push forward, but by now Sgt. Rivers condition had seriously deteriorated. A dangerous infection had developed, threatening the loss of life and limb, and the wound was visibly causing a great deal of pain.


























Sgt. Rivers had been urged to evacuate the night before, but he had again refused to leave the field. As usual his tank led the way, but while advancing toward German positions near the town of Bougaltroff they came under extraordinarily heavy fire. Capt. Williams ordered the remaining tanks to pull back, but Sgt. Rivers had located the German anti-tank unit and, with one other tank. "I see 'em. We'll fight 'em," Rivers said, and opened up on the enemy tanks, covering Company A's withdrawal.

In the process, Sgt. Rivers' tank was fully exposed, and the Germans quickly trained their fire on his tank, landing two direct hits with high explosive shells. Rivers was killed instantly and his crew members were severely wounded.




















Trezzvant Anderson, a war correspondent  who was attached to the 761st, recorded his observation of Rivers' brave fight. "From a comparatively close range of 200 yards, the Germans threw two HE [high-explosive] shots that scored. The first shot hit near the front of the tank, and penetrated, with ricocheting fragments confined inside the steel walls. The second scored inside the tank. The first shot had blown Rivers' brains out against the back of the tank, and the second went into his head emerging from the rear. And the intrepid leader, the fearless, daring fighter was no more."

Staff Sergeant Ruben Rivers sacrified his life on November 19, 1944.


























Burial site of Staff Sgt. Ruben Rivers in the Lorraine American Cemetery in St. Avold, France.

The casualties in November alone, the battalion had 22 killed in action, two who died later of wounds, 81 wounded, 44 non-battle casualties, 14 tanks lost and 20 damaged. The battalion went with the Third Army to the relief of the encirclement of Bastogne the following month, and into Germany. By war's end, 761st troops had accrued 11 Silver Stars and 69 Bronze Star Medals - most of them for valor under fire.


























Sgt. Rivers' final acts which demonstrated a profound loyalty to his fellow soldiers and dedication to the war effort, and earned him the military's highest award, the Medal of Honor. However, although Capt. Williams recommended Rivers for the award on November 20, 1944, it would not come until more than fifty years later.

On January 13, 1997 some of these omissions were rectified when President Bill Clinton presented the Medal of Honor to the families of six black American servicemen and one living veteran. Grace Woodfork, one of Sgt. Rivers' sisters, received her brother's medal in his stead.

Also on hand was Sgt. Rivers white commanding officer and friend, Captain Williams who had continued to fight for recognition of Sgt. Rivers' heroism after the war. Capt. Williams underscored the past racism of the armed forces when asked why the medal had not been awarded sooner; “It is obvious. He was a Negro.”






The citation accompanying the medal reads as follows.














For extraordinary heroism in action during the 15–19 November 1944, toward Guebling, France. Though severely wounded in the leg, Sergeant Rivers refused medical treatment and evacuation, took command of another tank, and advanced with his company in Guebling the next day. Repeatedly refusing evacuation, Sergeant Rivers continued to direct his tank's fire at enemy positions through the morning of 19 November 1944. At dawn, Company A's tanks began to advance towards Bougaktroff, but were stopped by enemy fire. Sergeant Rivers, joined by another tank, opened fire on the enemy tanks, covering company A as they withdrew. While doing so, Sergeant River's tank was hit, killing him and wounding the crew.

Staff Sergeant Rivers' fighting spirit and daring leadership were an inspiration to his unit and exemplify tthe highest traditions of military service.

He had previously been awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart.

Among his other honors, Staff Sergeant Rivers Court in El Paso, Texas is named after Sgt. Ruben Rivers.


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Over 12,000 decorations and citations were awarded to the 92nd Division, who were credited with knocking out several machine gun nests near Massa, Italy. The 761st received the Presidential Unit Citation for service between October 31, 1944 and May 6, 1945 by Jimmy Carter in 1978 "for extraordinary heroism in military operations against an armed enemy." The 761st Tank Battalion

The 761st was activated on April 1, 1942 at Camp Claiborne, Louisiana and deployed in Europe, October 10, 1944. The 761st, later referred to as the "Black Panther Tank Battalion", was a group of African American men whose battle tenacity in Germany helped turn the tide of the war.

The 761st Tank Battalion was first assigned to Patton’s army. At first, he was against this assignment and said that African-Americans were incapable of “thinking fast enough to fight in the armor”. Soon, he realized that he was very wrong. The all-Black 761st Tank Battalion fought 183 consecutive days with General George S. Patton's army in Europe and was credited with killing 6,266 enemy soldiers and capturing another 15,818.


























.Lt. Gen. George S. Patton, Jr. pins Silver Star on Ernest A. Jenkins.


During the Battle of the Bulge, the 761st "entered combat with... conspicuous courage and success." By the end of 1944, Patton declared, “I have nothing but the best in my army. I don't care what color you are as long as you go up there and kill those Kraut son's-a-bitches." In April 1945, the 761st Battalion liberated the Nazi death camps at Buchenwald and Dachau, where they were greeted as heroes by the emaciated inmates.  10 soldiers were awarded Silver Stars and 38 Bronze Stars.

For 183 days, including the infamous Battle of the Bulge, they fearlessly took on and defeated everything Germany threw at them, almost always outnumbered. In the end, they punched the hole in the Siegfried Line through which General Patton’s tanks poured through on the way to victory. During their first mission in the German town of Morville-les-Vic, they were essentially sent in as bait to exhaust German firepower and allow for the white units to sweep in. Instead, after three days of fighting, outnumbered and outgunned, the 761st defeated the Germans and took the town.

The 761st fought for six months without relief, always being called on to battle German forces that other units couldn’t handle. Their reward? They were denied the fuel they needed to reach and link with Russia toward the end of the war. That honor was awarded to White units instead. Not to be outdone, the 761st found a quartermaster unit, which provided them the gasoline they needed and they still beat the other units to the Russian rendezvous.


























Combat record

The battalion first saw combat on 7 November 1944, fighting through towns such as Moyenvic, Vic-sur-Seille and Morville, often at the leading edge of the advance. The unit was to endure 183 days of continuous operational employment.

Casualties in November 1944 were: 24 men killed, 88 wounded, and 44 non-battle, with 14 tanks lost and 20 damaged. In December, the battalion was rushed to the aid of the 101st


Airborne Division at Bastogne.

After the Battle of the Bulge, the unit opened the way for the U.S. 4th Armored Division into Germany during an action that breached the Siegfried Line. In the final days of the war in Europe, the 761st was one of the first American units to reach the Steyr in Austria, at the Enns River, where they met with Ukrainians of the Soviet Army.

The 761st was deactivated 1 June 1946 in Germany.


Permanent Monument

A monument dedicated to the 761st Tank Battalion was unveiled at Fort Hood, Texas during a ceremony attended by surviving veterans on November 10, 2005, as a permanent tribute to soldiers who have served and continue to serve throughout the world for liberty, honor and democracy. The monument features four black granite tablets surrounding a life-size marble sculpture of a 761st Tank Battalion fighter kneeling atop a black granite pedestal engraved with a tank on the front and a panther on the back.

The monument is located on 761st Tank Battalion Drive.





















Statistics:

CAMPAIGN: Northern France, Rhineland, Ardennes-Alsace, Central Europe.
Silver Star: 11
Bronze Star: 69
Countries: France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Germany, and Austria.


Attachments - Third Army:

26th, 1st, 87th and 71st Infantry Divisions
17th Airborne Division
17th Armored Group
Ninth Army:
95th and 79th Infantry Divisions
XVI Corps
Seventh Army:
103d and 1st Infantry Divisions

COMMANDING OFFICERS:

(1942-04-01 – 1946-06-01)
Lt Col Edward E. Cruise 1942-04-01 – 1942-11-21
Maj John R. Wright, Jr. 1942-11-22 – 1943-07-03
Lt Col Paul L. Bates 1943-07-04 – 1944-11-08
Lt Col Hollis E. Hunt 1944-11-09 – 1945-02-23
Lt Col Paul L. Bates 1945-02-24 – 1946-06-01



PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (ARMY) FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM

Following is the Presidential Unit Citation, awarded to the 761st Tank Battalion in 1978, decades after their tremendous contributions. One of their number, SSgt. Ruben Rivers, was awarded a posthumous Medal of Honor in 1997, decades after he, with the typical bravery exemplified by his unit, offered up his life on the field of battle. Let the words of their Presidential Unit Citation further reveal the courage and dedication of these exceptional American soldiers:

By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States and as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, I have today awarded

THE PRESIDENTIAL UNIT CITATION (ARMY)FOR EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM TO THE761st TANK BATTALION, UNITED STATES ARMY

The 761st Tank Battalion distinguished itself by extraordinary gallantry, courage, professionalism and high esprit de corps displayed in the accomplishment of unusually difficult and hazardous operations in the European Theater of Operations from 31 October 1944 to 6 May 1945. During 183 days in combat, elements of the 761st - the first United States Army tank battalion committed to battle comprised of black soldiers - were responsible for inflicting thousands of enemy casualties and for capturing, destroying, or aiding in the liberation of more than 30 major towns, 4 airfields, 3 ammunition supply dumps, 461 wheeled vehicles, 34 tanks, 113 large guns, 1 radio station, and numerous individual and crew- served weapons.

This was accomplished while enduring an overall casualty rate approaching 50 percent, the loss of 71 tanks, and in spite of extremely adverse weather conditions, very difficult terrain not suited to armor operations, heavily fortified enemy positions and units, and extreme shortages of replacement personnel and equipment. The accomplishments are outstanding examples of the indomitable spirit and heroism displayed by the tank crews of the 761st. In one of the first major combat actions of the 761st, in the vicinity of Vic-sur-Seille and Morville-les- Vic, France, the battalion faced a reinforced enemy division. Despite the overwhelming superiority of enemy forces, elements of the battalion initiated a furious and persistent attack which caused defending enemy elements to withdraw.

While pursuing the enemy, tanks of the 761st were immobilized before an anti-tank ditch. Savage fire from enemy bazooka and rocket launcher teams, positioned 50 yards beyond the ditch, disabled many of the vehicles. Crewmen dismounted the disabled tanks, resulted in the elimination of many of the positions and virtually destroyed two enemy companies while permitting the escape of other tanks and crews and eventual completion of the mission.

From 5 January 1945 to 9 January 1945, the 761st engaged the 15th Panzer Division in the vicinity of Tillet, Belgium. Suffering severe casualties and damage to their tanks, the 761st attacked and counter-attacked throughout the five-day period against a numerically superior force in both personnel and equipment, and on 9 January 1945 the men of the 761st routed the enemy from Tillet and captured the town. This action was significant in that the enemy was prevented from further supply of its forces encircling Bastogne, and the United States troops there, because of the closing of the Brussels-Bastogne highway by the men of the 761st. One of the most significant accomplishments of the 761st began 20 March 1945 when, acting as the armor spearhead, the unit broke through the Seigfried Line into the Rhine plain, allowing units of the 4th Armored Division to move through to the Rhine River.During the period 20 March 1945 to 23 March 1945 the battalion, after operating far in advance of friendly artillery, encountered the fiercest of enemy resistance in the most heavily defended area of the war theater.

Throughout the 72-hour period of the attack, elements of the 761st assaulted and destroyed enemy fortifications with a speed and intensity that enabled the capture or destruction of 7 Siegfried towns, 31 pill-boxes, 49 machine gun emplacements, 61 anti-tank guns, 451 vehicles, 11 ammunition trucks, 4 self-propelled guns, one 170mm artillery piece, 200 horses, and one ammunition dump.

Enemy casualties totaled over 4,100 and of those captured it was determined that the 761st in its Siegfried Line attack had faced elements of 14 different German divisions. The accomplishments of the 761st in the Siegfried area were truly magnificent as the successful crossing of the Rhine River into Germany was totally dependent upon the accomplishment of their mission. The men of the 761st Tank Battalion, while serving as a separate battalion with the 26th, 71st, 79th, 87th, 95th and 103d Infantry Divisions, the 17th Airborne Division, and 3d, 7th, and 9th Armies in 183 continuous days in battle, fought major engagements in six European countries, participated in four major allied campaigns, and on 6 May 1945, as the easternmost American soldiers in Austria, ended their combat missions by joining with the First Ukrainian Army (Russian) at the Enn River, Steyr, Austria.

Throughout this period of combat, the courageous and professional actions of the members of the "Black Panther" battalion, coupled with their indomitable fighting spirit and devotion to duty, reflect great credit on the 761st Tank Battalion, the United States Army, and this Nation.