Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters' WWI Heroism

Dec 09 , 2025

Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters' WWI Heroism

Rain fell like bullets that night—cold, merciless, relentless. A dozen ruthless German raiders spilled over the trenches near the Marne River. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood alone. No support. No reinforcements close enough. His unit, the Harlem Hellfighters, pinned, pinned hard. Every second cost blood. His hands gripped steel, his resolve welded by fire. The enemy was counting on breaking their line. They never counted on Henry Johnson’s fury.

The Roots of a Warrior

Henry Johnson wasn’t born to glory. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1892, he grew up in an America fractured by segregation. His parents moved him north to Albany, New York—a land of hard work and harder truths. Drafted into the 369th Infantry Regiment, later known as the Harlem Hellfighters, Johnson stepped into a fight bigger than just enemy bullets. He fought to prove his worth in a world that had already written him off.

Faith was steel in his veins. A Baptist raised, Johnson carried scripture like armor. “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want,” echoed in his mind during the chaos, a lifeline. His code was simple: protect your brothers, no matter the cost. In a racially divided army, that loyalty bound the men tighter than any uniform.

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. The village of Bois d’Argonne, deep behind enemy lines, became a furnace of hell. Johnson and a fellow soldier, Private Needham Roberts, were on patrol. Suddenly—ambush. Overwhelmed. Johnson was hit multiple times, slashed with bayonets, bleeding, exhausted. But he didn’t falter. With grenades, a bolo knife, even a rifle that soon jammed, he fought with near-superhuman tenacity.

He reportedly killed four enemy soldiers, wounded a dozen, and wounded their leader—his actions breaking the raid’s momentum. “He was completely fearless,” Roberts later said.^[1] Despite his wounds, Johnson held the line alone until reinforcements arrived. His determination cost him his left arm and several fingers on his right hand. But the German raid was repelled; many Hellfighters lives were saved because of his stand.

Recognition Long Overdue

Johnson’s heroism was acknowledged—eventually. The French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with a golden palm, recognizing his valor immediately after the war. But back home, racial prejudice denied him similar American honors for decades. It wasn’t until 2015, nearly a century later, that Sgt. Henry Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama.

The medal citation reads in part:

“Sgt. Henry Johnson, through his extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, saved the lives of his comrades and inflicted great damage on the enemy despite being severely wounded.”^[2]

Commanders and fellow soldiers called him “Black Death” for the terror he struck into enemy ranks. But to those who knew him, he was simply a brother who stood when others faltered.

Legacy Carved in Steel and Faith

Johnson’s fight was not just on the battlefield—it was against the walls of bigotry and silence. His story reminds us that courage is often unrecognized until time strips away prejudice. The scars he carried were not just from combat, but from a nation’s unwillingness to honor its heroes.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” echoes heavier today than on any battlefield.^[3] Henry Johnson’s sacrifice stretches beyond his wounds—it’s in the resolve to stand for justice, honor, and faith when the world offers only darkness.

His legacy teaches every veteran and civilian alike that valor transcends race, class, and circumstance. That redemption lies in remembering. That every scar, every sacrifice, steels the armor of freedom.

Henry Johnson’s blood baptized a path—through mud, through fire, and through hatred. His fight still rings in the silent prayers of those who stand watch, holding the line for brothers and for justice.

“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

Sources

1. Oxford University Press, Black Soldier, White Army: The Legacy of Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Sgt. Henry Johnson 3. The Bible, John 15:13