Sep 30 , 2025

Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters' Courage in WWI

The night air cracked with gunfire. Shadows danced in the trenches. Henry Johnson pressed his back against the mud wall, blood slick beneath his fingers. Around him, death howled — but he stood firm, steel in his bones. The enemy stormed like a tide. He would not break.

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Beginnings in the Hudson Valley

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, but grew up in Albany, New York, carving out a life against the hard edges of racism and poverty. A Black man in early 20th century America, the odds were stacked like a loaded rifle. Yet he carried a code sharper than prejudice: duty before self. Raised with a gritty faith, Johnson trusted a God who sees every scar beneath the surface.

He worked as a leatherworker, a craft demanding patience and precision, the same traits that would serve him under fire. When the war called, he enlisted in the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the Harlem Hellfighters.

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Into the Maelstrom: The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. The Argonne Forest. Darkness shrouded the ground as German raiders crept through the trees, striking a surprise attack on Johnson’s outpost. Alone and severely wounded, he faced an enemy force several times his number. The men of his unit lay felled or scattered.

Sgt. Johnson grabbed his rifle, two pistols, and a bolo knife. What followed was a brutal, close-quarters fight.

Gunshots tore through the night. Johnson fired single-handedly, pummeling enemy after enemy. At one point, his left hand was nearly severed — the nerves blasted to ribbons — but he refused to fall back. Instead, he wielded his bolo knife with savage resolve. Blood streaming from wounds, he became a one-man bulwark, saving a fellow soldier wounded and pinned down. His relentless fury forced the Germans to retreat.

He held the line for hours until reinforcements arrived.

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Honors Won in Blood

Johnson’s courage didn’t just earn medals; it rewrote the narrative for Black soldiers who fought with valor unrecognized for too long.

For his extraordinary valor, he was awarded the Croix de Guerre by France — complete with a silver star and palm. The citation described:

“He continuously and courageously attacked the enemy infantry with his rifle, pistol and grenades, saved the life of a comrade, and covered the withdrawal of his unit.”

But it took decades for the United States to come through. In 2015, more than 90 years after his death, Sgt. Henry Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration the United States bestows.

Afghanistan war veteran and former U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Ray Odierno said:

“Henry Johnson was a hero’s hero. His story reflected the valor and sacrifice of Black soldiers who fought courageously despite segregation and discrimination.”

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Scars That Tell a Story

Johnson’s body bore the price. Multiple gunshot wounds. Slash marks. Broken fingers. He returned from France battered, healing in pain. The government initially denied him benefits, a bitter reflection of the racial struggles he faced at home. Yet he never wavered in honor, grace, or faith.

Psalm 34:18 echoes through his trials — “The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.”

His legacy is a testament to the unyielding spirit of the warrior who fights not just for country, but for dignity.

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The True Measure of Valor

Henry Johnson’s story forces us to reckon with what heroism truly means. Not just medals or glory, but sacrifice and standing when all else falls away. He fought enemies abroad while battling prejudice at home.

In his grit, we find salvation of a different kind — that courage transcends circumstance, and every scar is a story of survival and hope.

He is not just a soldier in history books. He is a symbol.

For every veteran carrying invisible wounds, for every outsider proven wrong, Sgt. Henry Johnson embodies the raw, redemptive heart of combat.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

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Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Henry Johnson Medal of Honor Citation 2. The National World War I Museum and Memorial, Harlem Hellfighters 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Sgt. Henry Johnson Biography 4. Ray Odierno, quoted in Defense News, “Army Honors WWI Hero Sgt. Henry Johnson” (2015)

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