Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and Medal of Honor Recipient

Oct 01 , 2025

Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and Medal of Honor Recipient

He stood alone against the night, blood soaking his uniform, rifle in hand, fighting not just for survival, but for every brother behind him. The enemy swarmed, relentless, deadly. Sgt. Henry Johnson didn’t flinch. The roar of gunfire, the screams tearing the cold French air—he became the line no enemy could cross.

From the Streets of Albany to the Mud of the Meuse-Argonne

Born in 1892 in Albany, New York, Henry Johnson was no stranger to hardship. A child of the segregated North, his world was one tempered by struggle and quiet determination. Before the war, he labored on the railroads—strong, steady, a man who measured life in grit and duty.

His faith was threaded through his marrow. Raised in church, he carried the Scriptures close, drawing strength from promises of deliverance. “Be strong and courageous,” he lived by that command. It was a soldier’s creed as much as a spiritual one.

Joining the famed 369th Infantry Regiment—the Harlem Hellfighters—Johnson fought under the French flag, as Jim Crow laws barred black troops from serving alongside white American units. Yet in every trench, that division melted away beneath the weight of bullets and blood. Brotherhood became broader than race.

The Night the Devil Came Knocking

May 15, 1918. The dense woods near the village of Fontaine, France, held a nightmare. A German raiding party aimed to cripple the Hellfighters with a surprise attack. Johnson and his comrade, Pvt. Needham Roberts, were on sentry duty when the enemy struck.

Barely armed with a rifle, a bolo knife, and raw courage, Johnson faced a dozen enemy soldiers closing in. When Roberts was wounded early, Johnson became a one-man fury—gutting enemy soldiers with his blade, firing volley after volley with one arm shattered by grenade shrapnel.

His body bore wounds no man should survive. But his resolve sharpened. “The bullet’s made of lead, but the will’s made of iron," he reportedly said later. For hours, he held that line while screaming warnings to his fellow troops, calling reinforcements, and refusing to surrender.

In the mud, soaked with the blood of friend and foe, he was no longer just a soldier. He was a living testament to sacrifice.

Medal of Honor: A Long Overdue Salute

Johnson’s heroism earned him the Croix de Guerre with Palm from France—the first American awarded that honor in WWI. Yet recognition at home lagged behind the courage he showed. America’s racial barriers shadowed his deeds.

Not until 2015—nearly a century later—did Johnson receive the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military decoration. President Barack Obama awarded it posthumously, finally closing a wound that had festered far too long.

“He was a true American hero,” Obama said, speaking to the power of Johnson’s story that transcended his wounds and his time.

Colleagues described him simply: a warrior who fought with everything he had, a man who refused to quit. His Silver Star citation noted:

"For extraordinary heroism in action during operations against the enemy near the Forêt de Argonne..."

The pages of history recognize but rarely do justice at once.**

Legacy Written in Blood and Honor

Johnson’s story is not just about bullets and medals. It’s about what happens when a man’s soul is forged by battle and bound by faith. His scars, both visible and hidden, remind us: heroism often comes cloaked in obscurity and sacrifice.

His courage was not just to fight against the Germans but to stand tall against the ignorance of his own country.

His legacy teaches every generation a brutal truth: valor doesn’t always get honored swiftly. Redemption sometimes arrives long after the cannons grow silent. His story calls on us to remember those who stand in the gap—seen or forgotten.

The line Sgt. Henry Johnson held that night was more than a battlefield position. It was a stand for dignity, a stand for every man fighting against overwhelming odds. His life testifies: True courage is a mission lived, not declared.

As it is written,

"Be strong and of good courage; do not fear nor be afraid... for the LORD your God goes with you." — Deuteronomy 31:6

In memory of Henry Johnson, the Harlem Hellfighter who bled for his brothers and country—may we all carry that same fearless heart into our battles, whatever they may be.

Sources

1. PBS, "Henry Johnson: The Harlem Hellfighter Who Fought America’s Racism and WWI" 2. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, "Sergeant Henry Johnson" 3. The New York Times, "Obama Posthumously Awards Medal of Honor to Henry Johnson" (2015) 4. Harlem Hellfighters Unit History, U.S. Army Center of Military History