Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Earned the Medal of Honor

Dec 26 , 2025

Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Earned the Medal of Honor

Sgt. Henry Johnson stood alone in the dense forests of the Argonne. Bullets cut the air like death whispers. Grenades exploded nearby—the stench of blood and smoke thick as nightfall. Wounded but unyielding, he faced a snarling German raiding party. His rifle jammed. What did he do? He charged forward, trading punch for punch with the enemy, wielding a bolo knife, tearing through the chaos. He saved his unit. And earned a legacy forged in hell.

From Harlem to Hellfire: The Making of a Warrior

Henry Johnson was born 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, raised in the hard, steady faith of a Baptist household. A black man growing up in Jim Crow America learned early about raw injustice and survival. When the U.S. called for soldiers in World War I, Johnson answered. Joined the 369th Infantry Regiment—the Harlem Hellfighters. A unit of black men sent to fight not just the enemy, but racism back home and abroad.

Johnson’s faith was quiet, but fierce. It wasn’t about glory. It was about duty to something greater than himself—the men beside him, the country he served, and the God who gave him strength. His code was simple: stand firm, protect the vulnerable, and sacrifice everything if need be.

The Battle That Defined Him

In May 1918, near the Chateau-Thierry sector, Johnson marched with the 369th in one of WWI’s deadliest theaters. On the night of May 15, the Germans launched a surprise raid. Heavy rain, thick black forest, the crunch of enemy boots under low moonlight.

Johnson and Private Needham Roberts found themselves cut off. Enemy soldiers swarmed like wolves. The first shot nearly ended Johnson—shattered his face, broke his jaw. But he didn’t fall. He fought with a rifle that refused to cooperate.

He grabbed his bolo knife. Close quarters combat. He slashed and stabbed through multiple attackers. Wounded repeatedly, blood mixing with mud, his strength waning. Yet he pushed forward, fighting through sheer grit and will to protect Roberts and sound the alarm to his company.

His actions stopped the raid from becoming a massacre. Johnson’s defiance bought critical time, saved dozens from death or capture.

Heroism Recognized—After a Long Wait

Johnson received the Croix de Guerre from France—their highest honor for valor, personally decorated by General John J. Pershing. But the U.S. government dragged its feet for decades, a reflection of the institutional racism black soldiers faced despite their heroism.

Only in 2015, nearly 100 years after the battle, was Henry Johnson posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Obama. In the citation, officials praised his “extraordinary heroism” and “selfless courage,” standing as testament to his sacrifice and fight not just against an enemy overseas, but against the prejudice at home that long denied him full recognition.

"Sergeant Henry Johnson’s actions that night represented the best of America—bravery forged in the darkest crucible," said Senator Chuck Schumer at the 2015 ceremony.

The Legacy of Blood, Courage, and Redemption

Johnson’s story is not just a tale of valor. It is a mirror held to America’s troubled past. The scars he carried reflect the wounds of inequality, but also the unbreakable spirit of those who refuse to be forgotten.

Courage isn’t just charging into battle—it’s enduring the fight for justice in every form.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” —Romans 8:18

Henry Johnson’s scars are the chapters of a redemption story.

His fight echoes through every veteran’s soul—reminding us that honor is earned in discomfort and pain. That sacrifice is never silent, and legacy is carved out when men stand alone against overwhelming odds, sword in hand, heart unbroken.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Henry Johnson 2. PBS, The Harlem Hellfighters, 2014 3. The New York Times, “Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter, Awarded Medal of Honor,” 2015 4. National Archives, WWI unit histories and award records