The Association of the United States Army (AUSA) has published the next installment of their popular Medal of Honor comic book series, with each issue honoring a different recipient of America's highest award for valor. The most recent issue tells the heroic story of Ruben Rivers.
Rivers grew up in Oklahoma and was drafted into the Army in 1942. He served with the "Black Panthers" the first African-American tanker unit, and an Army that was segregated at the time. Despite some jeers from adjacent white units, Gen. Patton praised the Black Panthers. He also had a use for them in battling the Nazi war machine.
Written by comic book industry pro Chuck Dixon, the Ruben Rivers issue details how he fought across Western Europe and into the heart of Germany with his unit. He performed numerous valorous actions in combat, even after receiving a terrible leg wound that became infected.
In 1944, Rivers led an assault on a German held village when his tank column was ambushed. Rivers, acting as tank commander, laid down suppressive fires to allow his company to withdrawal. During the fighting, the turret of his tank was hit with an enemy shell and he was killed instantly.
River's company commander recommended him for a Medal of Honor, but the paperwork somehow disappeared at higher levels. He was awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously in 1997.
The comic book can be downloaded from the AUSA website free of charge.