Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter's Stand in World War I Argonne Forest

Nov 06 , 2025

Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter's Stand in World War I Argonne Forest

Henry Johnson’s world exploded in gunfire and screams. The night air tore at his lungs as he fought a dozen German soldiers, bullets ripping flesh, but he didn’t falter. Blood pooled underfoot, but he stood—a lone sentinel in a deadly warzone, refusing to die without buying his brothers time.

This man, a Black soldier in the brutal trenches of World War I, wielded a rifle and a bolo knife like extensions of his own will. This was not just a fight for survival. This was a war for honor, for legacy, for the soul of a soldier.

Background & Faith: The Code Carved in Scar Tissue

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, raised by a mother with unshakable faith. The son of former slaves, he carried the weight of their pain but also their resilience. Before the war, he worked as a porter and janitor, a quiet life shadowed by racial segregation but lit by a fierce pride and a strong spiritual backbone.

The letters he sent home speak of a man shaped by scripture and resolve. “The Lord is my rock, my fortress,” he wrote, echoing Psalm 18:2. His faith wasn’t a passive thing—it was a weapon, a shield that bolstered him in hell’s crucible.

Johnson’s belief in a higher justice and a code of duty defined him. He didn’t just march to battle; he marched to stand for something greater than himself: brotherhood, sacrifice, and redemption.

The Battle That Defined Him: A Night in the Argonne

May 15, 1918. The Argonne Forest, France—Germany launched a deadly raid on the "Lost Battalion" of the 369th Infantry Regiment. The 369th was Harlem Hellfighters, a unit of African American soldiers led by white officers, soaked in prejudice but steeped in grit.

Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were on guard when fifty German soldiers descended. The enemy burst against their wooden post like a pack of wolves. The odds were impossible, the terror immediate.

But Henry Johnson didn’t run. Armed with a rifle, pistol, and a bolo knife, he fought with raw fury. Even when shot through the thigh and stabbed multiple times, he repelled the attackers. He killed with his blade, wrestled enemies to the ground, and threw grenades. His screams filled the night—half battle cry, half prayer. He protected Roberts and the entire company from being slaughtered.

Sergeant Johnson’s wounds were so severe he nearly died. But his actions stopped the enemy from breaching the line. Alone, he shattered an assault that could have doomed dozens.

Recognition: A Medal Long Overdue

Henry Johnson’s heroism was recognized by France on July 9, 1918. The French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Star and Palm—the first American soldier to receive this distinction in WWI. The citation spoke of a “worthy example of courage, devotion, and self-sacrifice.”

Yet, for decades, the U.S. military turned its back. Johnson, like countless Black veterans, was denied the Medal of Honor for reasons steeped in racial injustice. It wasn’t until 2015 that the United States Army awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor posthumously, a long overdue correction to a bitter chapter in American history.[1]

Brigadier General Gregory J. Touhill said at the ceremony, “His deeds are the truest definition of valor.”

The scars Johnson wore were as much on his body as on America’s conscience. His perseverance in recognition mirrored his valor on the battlefield.

Legacy & Lessons: Courage Beyond the Battlefield

Henry Johnson’s story is not just about a single night in a foreign forest. It is about what true sacrifice looks like when faced with hatred, fear, and exclusion. A black man in a segregated army, he fought with the ferocity of a lion and the dignity of a saint.

His legacy teaches this: valor isn’t given. It’s forged in fire and oppression. Redemption isn’t found in medals alone but in relentless truth-telling.

In our broken world, Sgt. Johnson’s life calls us to see the warrior beneath the uniform—the human beneath the history.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

That courage—rooted in faith, forged in battle—stands eternal.

War takes many lives, but stories like Henry Johnson’s give those lives meaning. They remind us sacrifice scars us all, yet it also redeems.

His fight was never merely against an enemy overseas but for a future where all soldiers are honored equally—not just on paper but in the heart of a nation.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History + Medal of Honor: Henry Johnson 2. French Ministry of Defense + Croix de Guerre Awards in World War I 3. Harlem Hellfighters archives + I. Foner, A History of African American Soldiers in WWI