A photograph captured by Staff Sergeant Humphrey McCarter of a medical detachment belonging to the 761st Tank Battalion. The photograph is then featured on page 118 of Trezzvant W. Anderson’s “Come out Fighting: The Epic Tale of the 761st Tank Battalion, 1942-1945.”
A notable soldier listed in the photograph's description is Clifford C. Adams (1923-1944). Adams was born in Charleston, SC, but raised in Overtown, FL. A suburb of Miami, Overtown became a center for Miami’s black community at a time when Miami was becoming increasingly segregated. The Army assigned Adams to the 761st Tank Battalion and landed him and his comrades in France on October 9, 1944. During the Battalion’s first combat mission, Adams was struck in the chest by an exploding shell while giving medical attention to another soldier; he died later that day.
The Florida-France Soldiers Stories Project seeks to tell the stories of the Florida soldiers buried in the American Battle Monuments Commission cemeteries in France. Our goal is to honor and commemorate the brave individuals who gave their lives supporting the Allied forces, liberating France, and defeating Germany in the Second World War. Simultaneously, our goal is to teach the students who participate in this research project about the history of France and Florida during World War II, about the history of individual servicemen, and about how to implement historical research methods in their work.