followed up by mortar and rifle fire. As of a second tank. On November 17, Company A tank, opened fire on recounted in Hit Hard, Ruben ignored Ruben led the Black Panthers across enemy tanks, allowing the remainder the shots, jumped out of the turret of a river into Guébling, where they of Company A to escape. Ruben was his tank, and uncoiled and wrapped took up positions in and around killed and the rest of his crew was the tank’s tow cable around the heavily the town. On the way into town, wounded. Captain Williams submitted mined log that was being used as a Ruben disabled two enemy tanks and paperwork recommending Ruben for roadblock. While under fire from the forced two others to withdraw. The the Medal of Honor. According to Hit enemy, he ordered the tank driver Black Panthers continued to fight. Hard, he was met with resistance and to haul the roadblock off the road, On November 18, Captain Williams was later informed that the paperwork allowing the unit to advance. and the medical team visited each had been lost. In June of 1944, more than 150 troops landed on the shores of Normandy in Nazi-occupied France. Between November 16 and 18, tank. They warned Ruben that his leg Meanwhile, Robert learned about Ruben was wounded but continued would have to be amputated if he did Ruben’s death from an unlikely source. to fight. He was awarded a Purple not evacuate immediately. Again, as In November 1944, Robert was stationed Heart. On November 16, while the told in Hit Hard, Ruben refused to in Metz, about ten miles from Ruben. 761st Tank Battalion was pushing abandon his men. He was serving as a quartermaster its way to Guébling, Ruben’s tank On November 19, Ruben continued for a unit that supplied Ruben’s 761st ran over and detonated an anti-tank to display the courage that resulted in Tank Battalion. Robert and Ruben mine. The explosion damaged his his recommendation for the Medal had exchanged letters every other day tank and ripped his leg to the bone. of Honor. At dawn Company A, 761st seeking to arrange a furlough at the Medics cleaned and dressed Ruben’s Tank Battalion advanced toward same time in order to meet in Verdun, wound, but he refused the morphine Bourgaltroff, where they met with not far from Metz. Through their they offered. He also refused an order heavy resistance from the enemy. correspondence, Robert learned that from his commanding officer, Captain Captain Williams ordered his tanks Ruben was on the front line. When Williams, to evacuate. Ruben pulled to withdraw and take cover. Ruben, Ruben’s letters suddenly stopped, himself to his feet and took command however, accompanied by another Robert suspected something was wrong. 31 35