During World War II, Winston Churchill initiated the formation of Special Force Commando Units that would prove so effective as to change the course of the war. The First Special Service Force, led by their intrepid colonel, Robert T. Frederick, was perhaps the most famous of these units. Due to their ferocious nature and blackened faces for night raids, the fearful Germans gave them the nickname “The Black Devils.” In 2015 they were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal, the highest honor the U.S. government can bestow. Frederick's Black Devils is a stirring concert march that pays tribute to this legendary unit.
