Military Officer - February 2006 - (Page 67) attacking the antitank position that threatened his unit. His final words were reported as “I see 'em! We’ll fight 'em!” Rivers was recommended for the Medal of Honor, and it was presented to his family in 1997, along with Medals of Honor for six other black World War II heroes. Also during November, Sgt. Warren G.H. Crecy, a mild-mannered fellow by soldiers’ accounts, solidified his reputation as “the baddest man in the 761st.” An outstanding tanker, Crecy reportedly was deeply affected by the death of his closest friend, fellow tanker Horatio Scott. Crecy seemed to fight with a vengeance in retribution for Scott’s death. Crecy received a battlefield commission and went on to fight heroically, in true Panther fashion, during the Korean War, where he was seriously injured. Like Turley and Rivers, Crecy was considered for the Medal of Honor. Back to the Bulge Finally, the 761st entered Germany Dec. 14. As the Panthers readied to attack the Siegfried Line, the Germans launched a counteroffensive through the Ardennes. It halted the Allies, causing their line to bulge, but not break. This later-called Battle of the Bulge was actually a series of many battles. One side would lose ground, only to regain it, only to lose it again. The 761st was ordered to move north to the Bulge and to take the town of Tillet, Belgium. Other units had been unable to drive the Germans out. The 761st engaged the superior 15th Panzer Division Jan. 5-9, often dismounting their bogged-down tanks. After five days of combat in the bitter cold, the Germans withdrew. By the end of January, the Allies were on the move again. By March, the Panthers were again poised to pounce on the Siegfried Line. Bates commanded the roughly 1,800 men and tanks of Task Force Rhine. His objective: Break through the Siegfried Line. And he did just that. Towns fell one by one. Defenses were destroyed and prisoners taken. It was later determined that enemy casualties were in excess of Paul Bates 4,100 and that the A tank from the 761st crosses a Bailey bridge in Vic-sur-Seille, France (left). Lt. Gen. George S. Patton Jr. awards a silver star to Private Ernest A. Jenkins (right). The 761st’s A Company poses at Camp Claiborne, La. (below). Panthers could have faced elements from as many as 14 German divisions. The Siegfried Line was opened at Klingenmunster, and the 761st and other units were able to move across Germany. Even with the end in sight, the battalion still met strong resistance. Germany formally surrendered May 8, 1945, and the 761st commenced occupation duty. The battalion was deactivated June 1, 1946. By war’s end, the 761st claimed 11 Silver Stars, no fewer than 60 Bronze Stars, four battlefield commissions, and a Medal of Honor. During its roughly 183 days at the front, the battalion of approximately 750 men suffered 34 killed and nearly 300 wounded. MO PHOTOS: TOP LEFT, COURTESY BARON K. BATES; TOP RIGHT, NATIONAL ARCHIVES; ABOVE, COURTESY DADE FAMILY FEBRUARY 2006 MILITARY OFFICER 67
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