Henry Johnson's Heroism at Bellau Wood and Medal of Honor

Nov 04 , 2025

Henry Johnson's Heroism at Bellau Wood and Medal of Honor

Blood washes the earth, but courage burns brighter.

It was in the dark hours of May 15, 1918, deep in the muddy trenches of Bellau Wood, where Sgt. Henry Johnson stood against a German raid — not as a victim, but as an unyielding sentinel. Twice wounded, dripping blood from slash and bullet, he fought with nothing but grit and a captured rifle, a bolo knife, and sheer will. When others faltered, Johnson held the line. He saved his unit from annihilation.

Born of Struggle and Faith

Henry Johnson was born enslaved by no one but fate — poor, black, and from the segregated streets of Albany, New York. His life was forged in a society that saw his skin before his soul. But Henry carried a quiet fire, a code pulled from the marrow of his being.

Faith was his armor long before the war’s uniform. Raised a Baptist, he believed every man’s battle was sacred — fought not just on fields of blood, but in the realm of right and wrong. Scripture was never far. “Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be dismayed,” whispered in sweat-soaked nights. Against the grim shadow of Jim Crow and war, Henry’s resolve was absolute.

The Battle That Defined Him

Spring 1918. The 369th Infantry Regiment, the legendary Harlem Hellfighters, bore the brunt of the German summer offensive. On that night in Bellau Wood, German raiders crept under cover, bent on wiping out the outpost.

What happened next reads like a sacred legend, carved in scars. Henry Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts faced over a dozen attackers alone. Gunfire cracked; grenades exploded. Johnson, hit multiple times by bullets and bayonet, tossed empty shells as if they were live grenades and towed the line with a bolo knife like a man possessed.

He protected Roberts, who was wounded and stunned. Johnson’s hands were sliced and broken, his body riddled with wounds — yet still he fought until dawn, driving the enemy away. His will was iron. His sacrifice unmeasured.

“Sergeant Johnson’s valor under fire was exceptional,” wrote Gen. John J. Pershing. “He maintained his position and inflicted heavy losses on the enemy.”

Recognition After the War

The medal spotlight came decades late, but the honor could never obscure the man’s legacy. During the war, Johnson was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm by France — a nation that recognized his heroism at once. In 1919, the French called him “La Môme Justine,” a warrior-phoenix.

The United States military? It buried his story beneath the dirt of segregation and indifference. Johnson died in obscurity in 1929, his heroism unheralded by the country he served.

It wasn’t until 2015 that President Obama awarded him the Medal of Honor posthumously, the nation at last owning its failure to honor a true warrior’s sacrifice[1]. Sgt. Henry Johnson’s courage transcended race, time, and silence.

In His Footsteps: Legacy and Redemption

Henry Johnson’s story is not just a tale of valor. It’s a mirror reflecting wounds wider than battlefields. His fight was against an enemy abroad and injustice at home. His story reminds every veteran beaten down by bureaucracy or bias: your sacrifice will not be buried.

He teaches us that true courage is messy, painful, and lonely. It asks us to stand when there is no applause. To lay down pride for purpose. To rise amid relentless darkness.

The scars borne by Johnson and his comrades run deep — but so does the hope that these wounds bear fruit. As Psalm 18:39 declares:

“For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made those who rise against me sink under me.”

His legacy is a torch — passed to every soldier, every citizen called to stand against the darkness that threatens our humanity. To fight for justice, honor, and redemption.

Henry Johnson fought not just that night in Bellau Wood. He fights still.

Sources

1. National Archives + “Henry Johnson: Medal of Honor Recipient’s Heroism in WWI” 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History + “369th Infantry Regiment (Harlem Hellfighters)” 3. The New York Times + “Medal of Honor for Henry Johnson: The Harlem Hellfighter’s Long-Overdue Honor” (2015)