Henry Johnson’s WWI Heroism at Bois-de-Belleau and Legacy

Dec 06 , 2025

Henry Johnson’s WWI Heroism at Bois-de-Belleau and Legacy

Sgt. Henry Johnson didn’t ask for glory. He was a man thrust into hell’s maw—alone, outnumbered, bleeding—and chose to fight until the last breath. When the night exploded in gunfire near the French front, he became a one-man shield. Wounds pounding through his body, he held off a German raiding party that had already slaughtered half his unit. In that hellscape, Henry Johnson’s raw courage was a fiery beacon.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1892 in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Henry Johnson grew up in a country that didn’t yet recognize his full worth. A Black man in Jim Crow America, his honor was forged under the weight of prejudice. When opportunity called in 1917, Johnson answered with a steadfast sense of duty—enlisting in the 15th New York National Guard, later federalized as the 369th Infantry Regiment.

The 369th, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, bore the brunt of both enemy fire and the sting of discrimination at home. Yet, within their ranks burned an unbreakable code of loyalty and sacrifice. His faith whispered beneath the chaos—the promise of strength beyond flesh and blood. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear... for the Lord your God goes with you.” —Deuteronomy 31:6

Henry Johnson’s faith would become both anchor and sword on the battlefield.

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. The dense forests near the village of Bois-de-Belleau, France—a night etched in pain and valor. Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were on sentry duty when the Germans launched a deadly surprise attack. Explosions cratered the earth. Shadows became death.

Johnson was stabbed repeatedly with bayonets, bullets tearing flesh and bone. But he fought on, blade in hand, throat cut open, face slashed deep. Alone in the darkness, he killed or captured at least four enemy soldiers, saved Roberts from being taken prisoner, and prevented the raid from breaking his platoon’s line.

His tenacity saved American lives that night—but cost him dearly. He returned with 21 wounds and a crushed face, his body a testament to the battle’s savagery.

“Johnson’s bravery that night was unmatched. A warrior who fought when most would flee.” —Col. William Hayward, commander of the 369th Infantry Regiment.[¹]

Recognition in a Clouded Light

Years passed before Johnson received full recognition. The Army awarded him the French Croix de Guerre with Palm—the only American soldier so honored during WWI. But in the United States, racial barriers delayed celebration.

It wasn’t until 2015, nearly a century later, that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor.

“Your hard-fought courage is honored today. Your sacrifice reminds us all who the true heroes are.” —President Barack Obama, White House ceremony, 2015.[²]

His Silver Star citation captures the gut of his actions: “Fearlessly engaged with the enemy, despite grievous wounds.” That raw sentence can’t fully contain the man who endured hellfire to guard his brothers.

A Legacy Etched in Blood and Faith

Henry Johnson’s story echoes beyond medals and ceremonies. He stands as a symbol of resistance against the double battle of enemy fire and systemic hatred. A warrior wounded in body, but unbroken in spirit.

His scars tell a story of unyielding sacrifice. Johnson’s fight teaches us about the endurance demanded by true courage—not the absence of fear, but the mastery of it.

“For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.” —Mark 8:35

His battle rages still—in the fight for recognition, equality, and remembrance. Veterans who wear their own invisible scars see in Henry Johnson a reflection of their own quiet heroism. Civilians too can learn: valor isn’t forged only by victory, but by the will to stand in the darkness against all odds.

Henry Johnson’s blood bought us light in a world shadowed by doubt and injustice. His story demands we do not forget those who suffer alone, who fight unheard battles, who carry the torch of sacrifice long after the guns fall silent.

The battlefield is endless. But so is the redemption found in courage born of faith and conviction.

Sources

[¹] Harlem Hellfighters: The African American Soldiers of World War I by Alfred F. Hurley [²] The White House Archives, Presidential Medal of Honor Ceremony, 2015