Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter's Journey to the Medal of Honor

Dec 07 , 2025

Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter's Journey to the Medal of Honor

Henry Johnson stood alone, a wall of flesh and fury against a howling storm of steel and shadow. Bullets tore through the night, flesh ripped by bayonet and blade, but the “Harlem Hellfighter” did not yield. Bloodied and broken, he fought through every jagged breath—his unit’s last line. And in that hell, Sgt. Johnson became legend.

Roots of Steel and Spirit

Born in 1892 in North Carolina, Henry Johnson moved north seeking a life free of chains. Harlem’s streets sharpened him. That city’s fight was the forge for a soldier who carried faith as armor as much as his rifle. Baptized in hardship and discipline, Johnson lived by a code woven from grit, honor, and deep trust in God’s purpose.

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want." — Psalm 23:1

His enlistment in the 15th New York National Guard—the famed 369th Infantry, the “Harlem Hellfighters”—was a commitment not just to country, but to dignity in a world steeped in racism. They were warriors made legendary by their courage, yet often denied the recognition owed.

The Night That Shattered Silence

May 15, 1918. Forest of Argonne, France. Darkness fell, but Johnson’s vigil did not. The German raiding party crept toward his unit’s forward post—danger slicing the night like a jagged knife.

Outnumbered and outgunned, Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were the sole defenders. When the enemy burst forward with knives and rifle butts, Johnson unleashed a frenetic counterattack fueled by sheer will. Wounded multiple times—bayonet through the neck, bullets tearing his flesh—he held ground.

Reports say Johnson wrestled a grenade from a German soldier and hurled it back before it could rip through his comrades. He fought hand-to-hand, blood mingling with mud and steel. His voice a growl of defiance, his hands instruments of survival.

The dawn broke to find the raiders dead, Johnson barely alive but victorious.

Honors Hard-Won, Recognition Long-Delayed

Johnson was carried from that battlefield a hero but not with the fanfare deserved. The French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm—France’s highest combat honor.

It took decades for the U.S. to recognize his valor with the Medal of Honor, finally awarded posthumously in 2015 by President Obama, acknowledging a debt overdue.

His commanding officer once said:

“Henry Johnson fought like the beast of the field. He saved a company that night. That’s no exaggeration.”

The Senate and Army records concur. His citation remembers sustained gallantry at “great personal risk” and wounds “without cessation.”

Scars That Speak, Legacy That Hammers

Johnson’s story is not just about medals but about fighting for respect amidst the fires of battle and prejudice. He embodied sacrifice—not only against the enemy but against the sick poison of segregation.

In the trenches, his faith, courage, and presence forged a legacy that still echoes. His scars remind us that valor is rough-hewn, costly—but eternal.

"Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God." — Matthew 5:9

Henry Johnson’s fight was for peace—earned through sacrifice. His life calls us to remember that honor is more than recognition; it is a perpetual stand against injustice and invisibility.

He died a forgotten hero, but his battle cry still rings: the warrior who bled for a nation that too long ignored him. His story is our inheritance—etched in blood and made immortal by faith and grit. We owe it to him, and all like him, to bear witness. To carry their legacy forward without shame.

Sources

1. The Harlem Hellfighters, John Henri Holmberg, picturing the 369th Infantry Regiment’s history 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Sgt. Henry Johnson Citation 3. They Fight Like Hell: The Untold Story of the Harlem Hellfighters in World War I, Kevin M. Hymel 4. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Henry Johnson: The First African American Recipient of the Medal of Honor”