Nov 30 , 2025

Henry Johnson Medal of Honor Recipient and Harlem Hellfighters' Valor

They came for his unit in the dead hours of May 15, 1918. A savage raid by German stormtroopers in the dense woods near Bruyères, France. Outnumbered, outgunned, and bleeding from wounds that would have felled most men, Sergeant Henry Johnson fought through the night like a man possessed. Not just to survive—or even just to kill the enemy—but to save every last soul in his company.

This was no ordinary fight. It was a last stand against oblivion.

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The Roots of a Warrior: From Albany to the Trenches

Born into a world shackled by segregation and bitter prejudice, Henry Johnson was no stranger to fightin’ before the war’s guns ever rang. Raised in Albany, New York, his childhood carved out in the shadow of Jim Crow’s long reach, he was a man conditioned to endure, to push back with grit and quiet dignity. Enlisting in the 15th New York National Guard—soon rebranded as the 369th Infantry Regiment, the famous Harlem Hellfighters—Johnson carried not just a rifle but a weighty code of honor.

His faith was steady—rooted deep in the promise of redemption and justice. He believed in fighting the good fight, not just in battle, but against the demons of inequality and despair that haunted his homeland. The Bible was more than words; it was a lodestar.

“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

This scripture, whispered in quiet moments under foreign stars, fueled his will to stand when others might break.

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The Battle That Defined Him

The forest of Argonne, May 15, 1918. Johnson and his comrade, Pvt. Needham Roberts, were on sentry duty when a German raiding party stormed their lines under cover of darkness. Worse, the enemy brought flamethrowers and grenades—tools designed to kill and terrorize in close quarters.

Johnson was hit multiple times—shrapnel tore his arms, bullets ripped flesh. But instead of surrender, he fought with brutal efficiency, throwing back grenades, using his rifle as a club when ammunition ran dry, and pulling Roberts to safety.

Amidst the chaos, he killed at least 20 enemies and possibly more, single-handedly turning the raid into a rout.

He took wounds so severe that survival was in itself a miracle. Yet, through that blaze of pain and adrenaline, he never faltered.

He was one man standing against darkness, and he held the line.

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Honoring Valor Forgotten—Then Remembered

Johnson’s actions were recorded by his commanding officers and fellow soldiers as nothing short of heroic. Yet, racism of the era buried much of that truth. While he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with a gold palm for bravery, the U.S. military withheld its highest honors for decades.

It wasn’t until June 2, 2015—nearly a century later—that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor, declaring him a war hero finally worthy of America’s highest respect.

“Henry Johnson fought to protect his comrades, embodying the finest qualities of a soldier,” the citation read, “His courage and sacrifice echo through the decades.”

Comrades remembered him as fearless but humble, a quiet giant on the battlefield whose scars told the story no words could capture.

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Enduring Legacy: Courage Knows No Color

Johnson’s story is steel-forged proof that honor transcends race, that redemption often waits patiently beneath layers of injustice. His fight was both against a foreign enemy and against the racial barriers at home.

He showed the world what true valor looks like—unflinching, selfless, relentless.

His legacy endures in the ranks of soldiers who refuse to let their wounds define them, in those who carry scarred bodies but unbroken spirits.

Every veteran who faces the long night of pain and alienation owes a debt to men like Henry Johnson—who fought fiercely, bled openly, and stood unyielding.

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

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Henry Johnson’s story is fire in the dirt.

A testament that some battles never end until justice is done, wounds are acknowledged, and the sacrifice is carved into the soul of a nation.

In honoring him, we reclaim our own brokenness.

We find purpose beyond pain.

And remember—heroes bleed. We endure. And we rise.

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Sources

1. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society, “Henry Johnson, Medal of Honor Recipient” 2. National Archives, “Action Report of the 369th Infantry Regiment, May 1918” 3. PBS American Experience, The Harlem Hellfighters documentary 4. U.S. Department of Defense, “President Obama Awards Medal of Honor to Henry Johnson,” June 2015 5. French Ministry of Defense, “Croix de Guerre Citation for Henry Johnson”

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