Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line at Argonne

Oct 22 , 2025

Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line at Argonne

He bled alone in No Man’s Land, surrounded by dead and dying, holding back a savage German raid with nothing but a rifle and a grenade. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood his ground through hell’s curtain, his body shredded, yet his will unbroken. The bullets cut, the swords slashed, but he fought like a cornered lion, buying time for his unit to live.

From Albany’s Streets to the Trenches of France

Born into poverty in 1892, Henry Johnson grew up in Albany, New York, a man forged by hardship before the war claimed him. An African American barber by trade, he enlisted in the New York National Guard’s 15th Infantry Regiment—the famed Harlem Hellfighters—carrying with him a quiet, unshakable faith.

He believed in something greater than chance and carnage. Johnson was a devout Christian, steadfast in prayer and moral resolve. In a segregated army that doubted men like him, he chose his own path: courage over complaint, honor over hate.

“I asked the Lord to look out for me,” Johnson reportedly said years later. “If there’s a time to die, I want to meet it on my feet, fighting.”

The Battle That Defined a Warrior

Night of May 14, 1918. The Argonne Forest swallowed the world in darkness and death. The 369th Infantry was stationed on the front lines near the French village of Châtillon.

Suddenly, the Germans launched a brutal surprise raid. With barely a warning, dozens stormed their position, aiming to annihilate the sentry posts and slit through American defenses.

Henry Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were the only two sentries on watch.

Outnumbered, outgunned, and caught off guard, Johnson grabbed his rifle and grenades.

The fight was savage and close—swords and knives clashed in the murky night air. Johnson took slash after slash but struck back harder. He threw grenade after grenade, bayoneted seven German soldiers, and tackled others while dragging Roberts to safety.

In the chaos, Henry was stabbed twenty-one times and shot in the thigh. Blood poured, but the fight never left his eyes.

“We held the line that night,” Roberts recalled. “Henry did not let the enemy through. He saved us all.”

Johnson’s actions slowed the German attack until reinforcements arrived. The raid was repelled. Six Germans died. Many more were wounded or captured.

Recognition Denied, Then Won

Despite his heroism, Henry Johnson’s valor went unrecognized for decades. Racial prejudice in the segregated military stalled any formal recognition. France awarded him the prestigious Croix de Guerre with Palm—the first American to receive it—commending his “extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty”[1].

His own country turned away.

It wasn’t until 2002 that the U.S. awarded Johnson the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. And finally, in 2015—97 years after his deadly stand—President Barack Obama posthumously bestowed the Medal of Honor, citing Johnson’s “extraordinary heroism” in the face of overwhelming odds[2].

Army Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said, “Sgt. Henry Johnson demonstrated extraordinary valor and saved the lives of many. He stood tall in history and in truth.”

The Eternal Battlefield of Courage and Sacrifice

Henry Johnson died nearly forgotten in 1929, a lifetime haunted by wounds and hardship. But his story teaches us this: valor knows no color. Sacrifice demands honor. And faith, even in hell’s chaos, can steady a man’s soul.

His scars were not just on his body but on the memory of a nation slow to recognize a Black hero. Today, Sgt. Henry Johnson stands as a testament to courage unyielding, a legacy forged in blood and redemption.

“But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 15:57

The battlefield never forgets those who hold the line. Sgt. Henry Johnson bled, fought, and lived that truth. His fight is ours too: to face darkness with grit, to carry scars with pride, to raise our voices for those still unseen.

This is the enduring legacy of warriors like Henry Johnson—heroes who fought not just for ground, but for dignity.

Sources

1. Smithsonian Institution, African American Recipients of the Croix de Guerre in WWI 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients, World War I