"[H]ere was a white man [Patton!] tellin' the Negroes to shoot white people"


Mr. Charles A. Gates, of the crack 761st Tank Battalion, remembers the old Jim Crow WW II military, in Studs Turkel's book of personal WW II memoirs, The Good War, pages 264 - 266. Blogger's adaptation.

"We were the first black tanker group to be used in combat.

"I had experienced so much prejudice in Louisiana that when I got to Europe, it was a joke. (Laughs)

"We went to Fort Hood, Texas, early '44.

"We trained against the tank destroyer outfits and consistently made monkeys out of them.

"They had both black and white.

"We established quite a reputation.

"In '44 General Patton requested the best separate battalion they had left in the United States.

"He wanted 'em for the Third Army.

"We weren't in a division.

"Patton had made a statement that Negroes were incapable of being tankers.

"The equipment was too technical.

"And who should Patton see when he went into the armored field?

"Us.

"Here we come, the best they had left in the United States. (Laughs)

"He viewed us for quite some time.

"Finally he said, You're the first Negro tankers ever to be used in the American Army in combat.

I want you to establish a record for yourselves and a record for your race.

I want you to make a liar out of me.

When you get in combat -- and you will be in combat -- when you see those kraut s.o.b.'s, don't spare the ammunition.

"Of course, the Negroes whooped because here was a white man tellin' the Negroes to shoot white people.

"Well, that really tore us up. (Laughs.) "

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Schwarzen Soldaten!