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