Soldiers' Experiences

Williamsburg Vet Made Mark With African-American Tank Battalion in WWII

761st Gallery

If you want an in-depth understanding of the battles (both on and off the field) and a thorough exploration of different soldier experiences and perspectives on their time in the 761^st this is an ideal resource to use. Moreover, the gallery offers an amazing opportunity to meet the soldiers both during their service and in reunions for years to come.

Jackie Robinson

Another article that highlights the battles the 761^st fought both at home and overseas, the article begins with a detailed description of baseball superstar Jackie Robinson’s fight against segregation and racism while he served in the battalion. Despite the racism faced by all soldiers in the 761^st, those who traveled to Europe fought with immense bravery throughout the war, as seen in such fights as The Battle of the Bulge. Several stories of bravery are highlighted including those of Staff Sgt. Ruben Rivers and Warren G. H. Crecy.

If you want to learn more about Jackie Robinson’s fight against racism in the army, some of the important battles the 761^st participated in, or the stories of soldiers’ bravery this is a great resource.

Williamsburg vet made mark with African-American tank battalion in WWIIGrowing up in 1930s Newport News, Thomas Mangrum Sr. picked up a little skill that would help change his life, both as a soldier and an African-American.

Williamsburg Vet Made Mark With African-American Tank Battalion in WWII

This resource follows the story of one member of the 761^st throughout his life before, during, and after the war. Including both an article and a video of an interview with Thomas Mangrum Sr. Mangrum, whose job included the transmission and recording of codded messages for the 761^st has a unique story about his life before the war, his experience after he was recruited to the 761^st and his time both in Europe and America after the war. Despite the important skills he brought into the service and his heroism throughout the war, Mangrum still faced racism but the military. Throughout his life, however, he continued to excel and fight against the racist institutions and assumptions that would otherwise have tried to hold him back.

This is a perfect article for anyone who wants to follow a specific soldier’s experience throughout the war and learn more about racism within the military.

This article explores the experiences of several Black GIs when they lived in England during the war. For many Black soldiers, their time in Britain was the first time when they experienced a lifestyle in which they were not treated as second-class citizens – they were simply seen as American soldiers. For many, this highlighted the hypocrisy of the American war effort, which claimed to be fighting for democratic principles while continuing to uphold racist policies and support racist violence inflicted against Black GIs in the military.

This article further explores the racist sentiments that shaped the American military and American society during WWII as well as the Black soldiers’ growing advocacy for their rights and their efforts to push back against these racist institutions.

Many Black GIs Found a Safe Place in Britain in Contrast to Racist Abuse From Their Fellow CountrymenToday, many people have a slightly distorted view of the relationship between the British and the vast numbers of American servicemen that were ferried

Corporal James W. Baldwin - Black Liberators

Dr. James W. Baldwin continues to live in Washington D.C., where he has resided since 1946

Corporal James W. Baldwin

Corporal James Baldwin was assigned to the 784th Tank Battalion at Camp Claiborne, in July, 1943. The 784th was only activated a few months before as the last of three all-Black tank battalions.

"I felt that in the Army, you are prepared to fight war for your country, things would have been different. The army should not have been segregated, but it was. Just different like night and day how we were treated"

Seventy-five years later, the Netherlands honors the ‘Black Liberators’ who helped end the Nazi occupationIn 1944, Allied forces began liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation. Among these soldiers were black GIs whose role in the liberation had largely been overlooked in historical accounts. Now, the Black Liberators Project seeks to highlight the service and sacrifice of these soldiers, including the 172 buried in Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten.