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Known as the first African American armored unit to see combat in World War II and as future baseball star Jackie Robinson's one-time outfit, the 761st Tank Battalion emerged from the adversity of Camp Claiborne, Louisiana. Led by a small cadre of white and black officers, the men trained to the pinnacle of their craft to fight a common enemy. The Black Panthers, as their unit insignia designated, proved their battle prowess on the parched Texas training fields against units bound for combat. The 761st earned a coveted assignment to fight under General George S. Patton to fight head-to-head with the best of Hitler's arsenal. Moving to the front in November 1944, trial by fire soon shook the unit to its core. Ambushed by a veteran German force, the 761st suffered heavy casualties in the confusion as they cut their way out of the trap.