Ruben Rivers
United States Army Medal of Honor recipient / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Ruben Rivers (October 31, 1918 – November 19, 1944) was a United States Army staff sergeant who was killed in action while serving as a tank company platoon sergeant during World War II. In 1997, he was awarded the Medal of Honor, the nation's highest military decoration for valor, for his actions on November 16–19, 1944, near Bourgaltroff, France.[1]
Ruben Rivers | |
---|---|
Born | October 31, 1918 Tecumseh, Oklahoma |
Died | November 19, 1944 (aged 25–26) near Guebling, German-occupied France † |
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Army |
Years of service | 1942–1944 |
Rank | Staff sergeant |
Unit | 761st Tank Battalion, 26th Infantry Division |
Battles/wars | World War II |
Awards | Medal of Honor Silver Star Purple Heart |
Rivers (half-Cherokee) and six other Black Americans who served in World War II, were awarded the Medal of Honor on January 12, 1997. The Medal of Honor was posthumously presented to family members of Rivers by President Bill Clinton on January 13, 1997, during a Medals of Honor ceremony for the seven recipients at the White House in Washington, D.C. The seven recipients are the first and only Black Americans to be awarded the Medal of Honor for World War II.[2][3]