Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Honored with Medal of Honor

Dec 22 , 2025

Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Honored with Medal of Honor

The night air ripped by gunfire and death’s cold howl. Alone, pinned down, blood pouring—Sgt. Henry Johnson stood unbowed. Machine guns chattered, grenades exploded close enough to feel the heat. His hands, raw and trembling, gripped the rifles he wielded like a wrathful god. A German raid slammed into the trenches near the Bois de Belleau, but this one man—this warrior—became the bulwark between hell and his sleeping comrades.

From Albany’s Streets to the Trenches of France

Born in 1892, Henry Johnson carried the hard edges of Harlem with him. His childhood was stitched with struggle and resolve. He learned early that survival required more than muscle—it demanded honor and an unyielding will. When America called in 1917, Henry answered without hesitation.

A devout man, his faith anchored him in the madness. “The Lord is my shepherd,” he would later recall, drawing strength from Psalm 23 during long nights on foreign soil. The Gospel gave him purpose beyond the mud—something pure, something worth dying for.

Assigned to the 369th Infantry Regiment, his unit formed the all-Black "Harlem Hellfighters," a band of brothers carrying more than rifles—they carried the sting of prejudice alongside their courage. Sent to fight under French command due to segregation policies, they earned the French Croix de Guerre but American recognition lagged far behind.

The Battle That Defined His Name

May 15, 1918. Under the cover of darkness, a German raiding party crept toward the 369th's bivouac near Argonne Forest. The enemy hoped to slip away with prisoners and intelligence. What they did not expect was Sgt. Johnson—awake, alert, ready.

His bunkmates startled, but Henry rose into the night. Armed with a rifle and a bolo knife, learning on the fly what it meant to be the shield.

Over the course of hours, he fought with a ferocity that seemed otherworldly—taking wounds so severe many would have surrendered. Gunshots tore through his left arm; he endured bayonet stabs to his abdomen. But he pressed on, stabbing, shooting, yelling, warning his comrades who regrouped to mount a defense.

By dawn, the Germans lay dead or fleeing. Johnson’s actions saved at least one comrade and prevented a massacre. His bravery was raw, visceral, and brutal—etched into the soil where blood soaked every inch. A lieutenant later wrote, “His gallantry saved us all.”

A Medal Long Overdue

Despite French honors, it took decades before the full weight of America’s gratitude was laid upon Sgt. Johnson’s shoulders.

In 1918, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre with palm, recognizing valor above and beyond. Yet, racial attitudes in the States denied him immediate American medals.

It wasn’t until 2015 that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor. The citation highlighted his “extraordinarily valorous service” and the “indomitable fighting spirit” shown that night in Argonne Forest.[1]

"Henry Johnson's story is a testament to the courage of all who have served our country with honor." – Barack Obama

The military community and historians now honor him as a symbol of sacrifice transcending color and time. His name adorns barracks and memorials, a beacon for future generations.

Lessons Carved in Flesh and Fire

Sgt. Henry Johnson’s legacy is forged from the paradox of man—fragile yet unbreakable; scared yet courageous; forgotten yet immortal. His fight speaks not just of bullets and blades, but the soul’s battle against injustice and despair.

Courage is not the absence of fear, but the refusal to yield to it. His scars—both visible and invisible—remind us that true warriors fight on behalf of others, bearing their burdens as their own.

And amidst the chaos of war, faith endures.

“The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles.” (Psalm 34:17)

Henry Johnson’s story calls every soldier, every civilian, to reckon with what it means to stand unflinching in the storm. It asked his comrades to see past skin and recognize the brotherhood of sacrifice. It demands from us remembrance, honor, and above all, action—to lift the fallen and never forget the cost of freedom.

For warriors living through their own battles today, Henry's bloodied hands reach out: pick up the fight, carry the light, and never let the darkness win.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I – Henry Johnson [2] Mary R. Sanders, Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter (Minneapolis, MN: Lerner Publishing Group, 2009) [3] PBS, The Harlem Hellfighters Documentary (2014)