I didn’t know we had any black troops on Iwo. I thought most of the black Army troops were in the European theatre (where most served with distinction. There was an excellent documentary recently on one of the Discovery Channel family (might’ve been the Military Channel) about the first all-black tank battalion in World War II, who served with Patton’s Third Army. They won a Distinguished Unit Citation, and Patton praised them as some of the best soldiers he had.
}:-)4
There were black Marines on Iwo most were used to haul ammo but all were in direct fire. You are correct about the 761st tank battalion which also liberated a concentration camp in Germany.
http://www.mpma28.com/page/page/2271596.htm
The Monfort Point Marines were the first black Marines.
I have heard of the Harlem Rats from WWI.
My understanding is that the French cried on the US Soldiers to help them out. At the time, the US was reluctant to enter. Our units were segregated and we had a well trained unit made of men from Harlem. We sent the French some help by sending the unit from Harlem.
Well, my understanding is that the French put the Harlem unit between some French units and some Germans. The Germans started to get their butts kicked. When they Germans learned who these men were, they said that they knew they were not French. And the Germans gave the men from Harlem the nickname Harlem Rats.
I hear the Harlem Rats wore that name with honor.