Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and Medal of Honor Hero

Nov 29 , 2025

Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and Medal of Honor Hero

Blood on the Frosted Ground. The night wind bit through the trenches near the village of Bois-Belleau, France, in May 1918. Shadows melded into gunfire and screams. Sgt. Henry Johnson, alone and wounded, faced a German raiding party hellbent on obliterating his unit. No orders. No backup. Just raw will and relentless fury.

Roots Forged in Harlem

Henry Johnson came from the streets of Albany, New York—a biracial world in a segregated America. Born in 1892, he was son to a fiercely proud mother who drilled discipline and faith deep into her boy. When war came, Johnson carried more than a rifle; he bore the weight of a nation that doubted him.

His creed was simple: Protect your brothers. Fight with honor. The faith threading his life wasn’t just church sermons. It was survival, redemption, and a sacred pledge: lifting his hand not just to kill, but to shield.

_“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

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. Night cloaked the Argonne Forest. Johnson was part of the 369th Infantry Regiment—known as the Harlem Hellfighters, sent to the front lines under French command. The enemy came swift, a raid meant to rip through American lines.

Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were on patrol, sentries watching the treeline.

Suddenly, a broken voice hollered a murderous charge. Dozens of German soldiers swarmed from the dark.

Blood screamed pain in Johnson’s leg, but he fought on.

With a bolo knife clenched tight, he slashed and stabbed through the horde.

He reportedly killed or wounded at least a dozen enemy soldiers, returning fire even after a grenade explosion blew off a finger and left him severely wounded.

He refused to let the Germans capture his post or his comrades. Even after collapsing, his hands still gripped weapons, his mind locked onto survival and protection.

Private Needham Roberts later said, “He saved my life.”

Johnson’s grit bought time for reinforcements.

Honors Hard Won

The U.S. War Department initially overlooked Johnson’s heroism—largely because of racial prejudice. His story lived in whispers among comrades until the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Star and Palm in 1918, for extraordinary valor.

Decades passed before America gave him the Medal of Honor—posthumously awarded in 2015.

Commanders and historians now respect Johnson as a warrior unmatched in courage.

The Medal of Honor citation reads: "For gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

Brigadier General Christopher P. Hughes called him, “a symbol of valor and sacrifice that transcends race and time.”

Legacy Written in Blood and Faith

Henry Johnson’s fight wasn’t just against an enemy army—it was against ignorance and injustice. His scars and wounds carried testimony that courage is not granted by color or creed. It is carved by the fire inside.

His story reminds veterans of their lasting duty—to shield, endure, and never let the fallen be forgotten.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

His fight in the cold French forest echoes still. Johnson’s legacy demands the reckoning: honor all who serve, regardless of the battles they faced at home.

The battlefield may grow silent, but the scars remain. Sgt. Henry Johnson’s bloodied hands teach us this: Redemption is forged not in glory, but in relentless sacrifice. His courage holds a mirror to us all—reminding the world that true warriors never die. They live on in every heartbeat of freedom.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I 2. National Archives + 369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters) Records 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society + Citation of Sgt. Henry Johnson, 2015 4. PBS + The Harlem Hellfighters Documentary 5. Army.mil + Brigadier General Christopher P. Hughes Statement, 2015