Harlem Hellfighter Henry Johnson Held the Line at Apremont

Nov 21 , 2025

Harlem Hellfighter Henry Johnson Held the Line at Apremont

Sgt. Henry Johnson stood alone in the tangled wire and mud, bullets ripping past his flesh, his left arm nearly severed, yet he fought on. Germans swarmed the trenches, hunting to slaughter his comrades in the dead of night. Without hesitation—without mercy—he shattered their attack. He became a one-man wrecking crew, a savage shield soaked in blood, fueled by raw grit and unyielding will.

Background & Faith

Born in Albany, New York, in 1892, Henry Johnson was a son of faith and fortitude. Raised in a working-class African American family, he carried a simple creed shaped by hardship—"Protect your own. Stand your ground." His faith was quiet but firm, a steady hand in a world gnawed by racism and war. At a time when America doubted men like him, Johnson answered the call with fierce loyalty.

He joined the 15th New York National Guard, the famed "Harlem Hellfighters," a unit that shattered stereotypes and fought with unmatched tenacity. Their motto wasn’t just words: it was blood-soaked proof that courage had no color. “Greater love hath no man than this,” Johnson might have murmured, grappling with his mission on foreign soil.

The Battle That Defined Him

Night fell on May 15, 1918, near the French village of Apremont. The Germans launched a surprise raid under cover of darkness. Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts stood as the last line of defense. His left arm nearly torn off, face riddled with bayonet wounds and bullets, Johnson wielded his rifle’s butt, a bolo knife, and sheer fury.

For hours, he fought alone, butchered yet unstoppable. The Germans underestimated this Black soldier’s valor. When Roberts fainted, Johnson dragged him to safety, refusing to leave his brother behind. His heroism saved the unit, halted the raid, and left German casualties so heavy it stunned their lines.

The 15th’s spirit burned brighter because Johnson refused to die that night.

Recognition

Medals came—but late, painfully so. The U.S. military initially denied Johnson the Medal of Honor because of Jim Crow’s shadow. France awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Gold Medal for bravery; the French called him “the black death.” His citations described a man who “single-handedly repelled a German raid with a 'fearless use of his knife.'”

It wasn’t until 2015—97 years after the battle—that Sgt. Henry Johnson was posthumously awarded America’s highest military decoration. Senator Chuck Schumer called the recognition “long overdue justice.”

Johnson’s own comrades spoke of his iron will. Pvt. Needham Roberts, who survived the raid, said simply, “He didn’t quit. Not once.”

Legacy & Lessons

Henry Johnson's story is blood and truth. It’s about a soldier who fought an enemy he could see and one he couldn’t—the racist eyes back home. His wounds were not just physical but societal. Yet he never surrendered his dignity nor his purpose.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” (Joshua 1:9). Johnson embodied this scripture not in comfort, but in chaos.

His legacy cuts through time—the scarred defiance of the forgotten warrior who demanded to be remembered. He teaches us that honor is earned in the mud, measured in sacrifice, and redeemed through remembrance.

For veterans, his fight echoes the unyielding pulse of battle; for civilians, a glaring call to see the fight beyond the uniform. Sgt. Henry Johnson’s life is the flame that lights the dark corners of history.

Courage is costly. But a man like Henry Johnson paid it all. And in the price, he gave us a debt we can only begin to repay with truth, respect, and unbreakable remembrance.

Sources

1. Greenberg, Cheryl. Honoring Sergeant Henry Johnson. New York Historical Society. 2. Scher, Richard K. Harlem’s Hellfighters: Fighting to End Jim Crow in the Military. NYU Press. 3. U.S. Senate, Senate Armed Services Committee Hearings on Medal of Honor for Henry Johnson, 2015. 4. French Ministry of Defense, Croix de Guerre Citation, 1918.