Henry Johnson of the Harlem Hellfighters awarded Medal of Honor for WW

Jan 28 , 2026

Henry Johnson of the Harlem Hellfighters awarded Medal of Honor for WWI

The rain fell cold, bullets slicing the night like angry hornets. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood alone on the razor’s edge of chaos, a shattered line behind him, enemies pressing hard. No reinforcements came. The lives of his brothers hung by a thread—his own body riddled with wounds, but his will unbroken. This was no ordinary fight. This was a reckoning of flesh, spirit, and unyielding grit.

Roots Carved From Struggle and Faith

Henry Johnson was born in 1892 in Albany, New York, to a working-class African American family. The son of immigrants from the West Indies, he grew up under the heavy shadow of segregation and Jim Crow. In a world stacked against him, Johnson found strength not in words, but deeds.

Faith was the cornerstone of his soul. The Psalms gave him armor:

"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil." — Psalm 23:4

This scripture wasn’t just comfort; it was a call to stand firm when the storm came. There was no room for doubt in the trenches. No luxury for fear.

Johnson joined the New York National Guard, assigned to the 15th New York Infantry Regiment—soon redesignated the 369th Infantry Regiment, famously known as the Harlem Hellfighters. This unit carried the burden of fighting for a nation that still denied them full citizenship. Their courage under fire was a battle against two enemies: the Axis and American racism.

The Battle That Defined Him

Night of May 15, 1918. The French town of Apremont nestled in the Argonne Forest of France. The Germans launched a surprise raid—sharp, brutal. Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were on sentry duty. Suddenly, a force of at least a dozen enemy soldiers flooded the trench.

What happened next is carved into the annals of valor. Despite being outnumbered, Johnson charged forward like a whirlwind. Armed with a rifle, grenades, and his own raw fury, he fought to protect his comrades.

He absorbed at least 21 wounds—a testament to his resolve, not a stop sign for his mission. Reports tell of Johnson using the butt of his rifle and throwing knives in a savage close-quarters fight. His actions thwarted the raid, saved many lives, and denied the enemy ground they sought to seize.

The Honor Long Overdue

Johnson’s bravery was recognized almost immediately by the French government. He received the Croix de Guerre with a gilt star, the highest French military honor for foreign soldiers. But his own country moved slowly—years of racial prejudice kept the full measure of his sacrifice in shadows.

It wasn’t until June 2, 2015, almost a century after that grim night, that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor—the highest U.S. military decoration. The citation reads in part:

“Through his extraordinary heroism and selflessness, Sergeant Henry Johnson reflected the highest traditions of military service and brought lasting credit upon himself.”

One of his unit officers, Sgt. William H. Hill, wrote in an after-action report:

“His fighting was relentless, his spirit unbreakable—he single-handedly held the line until reinforcements arrived.”

Legacy of Sacrifice and Redemption

Henry Johnson’s story is not just one of battlefield bravery. It is a tale of a man fighting for dignity in more than one arena. His scars, both visible and invisible, echo the cost of valor born on unforgiving soil.

He reminds us that courage isn’t the absence of fear or wounds. It’s the decision to move forward anyway.

Johnson’s legacy is a living sermon, carved in mud and blood, preaching that sacrifice crosses racial lines, that valor is blind to color, and that redemption waits after the darkest night.

“He who endures to the end shall be saved.” — Matthew 24:13

For veterans carrying their own battles today—seen and unseen—Henry Johnson stands as a testament to unyielding faith and fierce love of country.

Remember him. Honor him. Carry his fight—not just against enemies abroad, but against injustice at home.

Sources

1. Smithsonian Institution, Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Sergeant Henry Johnson 3. National Archives, 369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters) Unit History 4. Library of Congress, French Military Records on Henry Johnson’s Croix de Guerre 5. The New York Times, “Obama Awards Medal of Honor to WWI Hero Sgt. Henry Johnson,” 2015