The 'Black Panthers' of World War II Roll Over Nazis in 'Come Out Fighting'

"Come Out Fighting" was the unit motto of the Black Panthers, the 761st Tank Battalion, the U.S. Army's first all-Black tanker unit in combat. Like many of the new all-Black units fielded during World War II, there were those in the U.S. military who doubted how well Black soldiers could fare.

These fears were, of course, completely unfounded. Like the Tuskegee Airmen before them, the Black Panthers were not only acceptable in combat, they were formidable. The new movie "Come Out Fighting" is set against the backdrop of this storied unit.

When the 761st Tank Battalion arrived in Normandy in October 1944, they were greeted with a motivational speech from Gen. George S. Patton.

"Men, you're the first Negro tankers to ever fight in the American Army," Patton said. "I would never have asked for you if you weren't good. 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 sonsofbitches. Everyone has their eyes on you and is expecting great things from you.

"Most of all your race is looking forward to your success," he continued. "Don't let them down and damn you, don't let me down. They say it is patriotic to die for your country. Well, let's see how many patriots we can make out of those German sonsofbitches."

The 761st wouldn't see combat until the next month, near the Belgian town of Morville-les-Vic. Once they started fighting, however, they wouldn't stop until the war was over, fighting for more than 183 days. They fought at the Battle of the Bulge, helped relieve Bastogne and assisted in the penetration of Germany's Siegfried Line.

By the time World War II was over, the 761st had pushed all the way into Austria, liberated the Gunskirchen concentration camp and met the Ukrainian soldiers of the Soviet Red Army. Sometimes called "Patton's Panthers," they were one of the most effective tank units in the Army.

President Jimmy Carter presented the Black Panthers with the Presidential Unit Citation in 1978. Staff Sgt. Ruben Rivers, a platoon sergeant with the 761st, posthumously received the Medal of Honor in 1997 for his actions near Guebling, France, in 1944.

"Come Out Fighting" isn't just about this storied battalion, although the racism they experienced plays a part in the movie. It's the story of an unofficial rescue mission behind enemy lines. When Lt. Frank Ross (Kellan Lutz, "Extraction"), an Army Air Forces fighter pilot, is shot down by the new Nazi jet fighter, the Me-262, he encounters a German ambush on a Black Panther patrol as he makes his way home.

During the attack, the patrol's commander, Lt. Robert A. Hayes (Hiram A. Murray, "The Terminal List"), is cut off from the rest of his unit, but encounters the downed pilot. The men of the 761st put together an unofficial rescue mission while Lt. Ross and Lt. Hayes try to survive long enough to be rescued.

The movie also stars Michael Jai White ("The Dark Knight"), Tyrese Gibson ("The Fast and Furious") and Dolph Lundgren ("Rocky IV"). Catch "Come Out Fighting" in theaters and On Demand Friday, May 19, 2023.

-- Blake Stilwell can be reached at blake.stilwell@military.com. He can also be found on Twitter @blakestilwell or on LinkedIn.

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