The 761st Tank Battalion is a storied unit, but it was neither the first nor the second African-American combat unit to land at Normandy. My Dad's unit, the 452nd AAA AW [Anti-Aircraft Artillery, Automatic Weapons] Battalion came ashore at Normandy on June 23 (D-Day +13), and had been actively engaging the enemy for some three months before the 761st had even arrived in France the following October.

The 452nd spent its first several months in combat providing nighttime anti-aircraft protection to the daily influx of new troops and supplies landing at Normandy. It went on from there to participate in every major campaign in N. Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge, as part of Patton's 3rd Army/XII Corp. By V/E day, the 452nd was credited with having shot down more than 100 German warplanes, while seriously damaging 17 more.

Bruce Kimzey
son of Captain Eugene E."Gene" Kimzey, Commander, Battery D, 452nd AAA AW Bn (1916-1971)