H.R. No. 1580
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
 
         WHEREAS, During World War II, the late Lieutenant Colonel
  Philip W. Latimer distinguished himself through his combat service
  with the historic Black Panther Battalion of the U.S. Army; and
         WHEREAS, Colonel Latimer was teaching high school
  mathematics in rural East Texas in 1941 when he was drafted into the
  army; after serving as a private in the 3rd Armored Division and as
  a sergeant in the 7th Armored Division, he attended Armor Officer
  Candidate School; commissioned a second lieutenant in October 1942,
  he assumed command of a mortar platoon in the 12th Armored Division;
  the following January, he and the division's other white second
  lieutenants were asked if they would be willing to serve with the
  black soldiers in the newly formed 761st Tank Battalion, the first
  armored combat unit to be made up of African American troops; and
         WHEREAS, Lieutenant Latimer joined the battalion in July 1943
  as one of six white officers and, promoted to captain, trained with
  them at Camp Hood, where the men of the 761st excelled in combat
  exercises, often outmaneuvering and defeating the units made up of
  white soldiers; despite their success on duty, the soldiers of the
  761st regularly experienced racial prejudice while off duty, and
  one member of the battalion, future baseball great Jackie Robinson,
  was nearly court-martialed for refusing to move to the back of a
  bus; and
         WHEREAS, On October 10, 1944, the 761st Tank Battalion landed
  at Omaha Beach, and shortly afterward, it joined the Third Army in
  northeastern France, where it was welcomed by General George S.
  Patton himself; over the course of 183 days of continuous
  operations, the men of the 761st fought their way bravely across
  Europe, helping to liberate France, taking part in the Battle of the
  Bulge, and punching a hole in the Siegfried Line that allowed
  Patton's 4th Armored Division to enter Germany; and
         WHEREAS, Through it all, Captain Latimer served as the
  battalion supply officer, working with his crack staff to ensure
  that the battalion's approximately 700 men and its 54 medium tanks
  and 17 light tanks were well provided with ammunition, fuel, and
  rations; as they moved across the Rhineland, Captain Latimer and
  his driver took one village by themselves, accepting the surrender
  of a wounded German soldier; at the end of the war, the 761st linked
  up with the Soviet army at the River Steyr in Austria, becoming the
  easternmost unit of the Western Allied forces in Europe; and
         WHEREAS, In the years since, the 761st has become enshrined
  in American military history as the "Black Panther Battalion,"
  legendary for its members' skill, bravery, and determination in
  combat, as well as for their gritty motto, "Come out fighting";
  collectively, the men of the 761st were awarded a Medal of Honor,
  296 Purple Hearts, 11 Silver Stars, 70 Bronze Stars, 8 battlefield
  commissions, and 3 certificates of merit; in 1978, the battalion
  received a long-overdue Presidential Unit Citation from President
  Jimmy Carter, and in 2005, a monument to the battalion was dedicated
  at Fort Hood; and
         WHEREAS, After World War II, Philip Latimer became a
  lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserve, and until the end of
  his life, he remained proud of his service with the Black Panther
  Battalion and of the mutual affection and respect he shared with his
  comrades-in-arms; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas
  Legislature hereby pay tribute to Lieutenant Colonel Philip W.
  Latimer and the other members of the Black Panther Battalion for
  their exemplary service in defense of this nation; and, be it
  further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for Lieutenant Colonel Latimer's family as an expression
  of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.
 
  White of Tyler
 
  ______________________________
  Speaker of the House     
 
         I certify that H.R. No. 1580 was adopted by the House on April
  16, 2015, by a non-record vote.
 
  ______________________________
  Chief Clerk of the House