Henry Johnson's WWI Heroism and the Harlem Hellfighters

Jan 04 , 2026

Henry Johnson's WWI Heroism and the Harlem Hellfighters

Blood. Frozen night. The roar of grenades swallowed the air. Sgt. Henry Johnson, alone but unyielding, stood in the dark no-man’s-land like a ghost fueled by sheer defiance. His hands, both shattered and shaking, gripped his rifle tighter than life itself. Around him lay broken corpses and whispered prayers, but not one enemy would pass. Not on his watch.

Background & Faith: A Soldier Born in Harlem

Henry Johnson was no stranger to hard roads. Born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, in 1892, he grew up amid the grit and grind of poverty, migrating north to Harlem. His faith was a quiet fortress—rooted in church pews and scripture—carving a code into his soul where honor was stitched to sacrifice. The son of black America, he carried the weight of a country that barely saw him yet bound him nonetheless.

Army recruiters saw the steel behind his eyes and signed him to the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, later called the Harlem Hellfighters. A unit wrapped in prejudice but burning with resolve. Johnson’s faith and grit shaped a man who didn’t flinch when the smoke of Europe’s trenches enveloped him.

He bore that burden in silence, testing God’s word in the mud and blood.

"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

The Battle That Defined Him: Night of Fire, May 15, 1918

The lines were thin, the darkness thick, when the Germans launched a raid near the Bois de Belleau, France. In one hellish hour, Sgt. Johnson awoke to screams, to chaos clawing at his unit’s flank. The enemy came in waves—over twenty men advancing under cover of night.

He wasn’t ready to die.

Despite grenades hitting near enough to tear his flesh and bullets piercing his body, Johnson fought through the pain. His rifle jammed, then shattered—a broken tool for a war that demanded more. With a bolo knife, he wrestled, slashed, and stabbed through the shadow men pouring into the trench.

One by one, he silenced them. A pair of grenades detonated close, shattering bones, splintering his hand, but still, he pressed on. Saving the life of his comrade Pvt. Needham Roberts, he dragged the dying man to safety while fending off enemies who circled like sharks.

Hours passed like lifetimes. When dawn broke, twenty Germans lay dead, the raid crushed by the will of one man standing alone.

Recognition: A Medal Hung in Shadows

For years, Henry Johnson’s valor rotted in neglect alongside the Jim Crow of America’s armies. His heroism, impeccable and brutal, was reported by his commanders and fellow soldiers alike.

"Johnson fought the enemy single-handedly and held his position. His gallantry helped save his comrades." — Unit Medal Citation*

Yet, recognition was slow and shackled by the color line. The Distinguished Service Cross finally came in 1919, but the Medal of Honor eluded him during his lifetime. It wasn’t until 2015—nearly a century after the grenades fell—that President Obama posthumously awarded him the nation’s highest military honor.

Decades had passed, but the scars and stories remained etched in history and the hearts of the Hellfighters who knew.

Legacy & Lessons: The War He Carried Home

Sgt. Henry Johnson’s story is more than a tale of lightning reflexes and raw courage. It’s a mirror held to a nation’s failures and a testament to enduring grace. A black soldier, forgotten by his own country, became a symbol of unstoppable bravery pressed through injustice.

He carried battlefields inside his bones long after returning home, each wound a word in a sermon about perseverance. Johnson showed us what it means to fight doubly hard: against an enemy and against embedded hate.

His life cries out to veterans and civilians alike: courage is not the absence of fear—it is the triumph over it, despite the cost.

“Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord.” — 1 Corinthians 15:58

Blood, scars, and faith—Johnson’s legacy is a warrior’s prayer echoing through the decades. Redemption does not erase our battles, but it refines the broken into a sword of purpose. For every soldier who walks in darkness, Sgt. Henry Johnson lights a path of relentless, sacred courage.

Sources

1. NY National Guard Archives, 15th New York Infantry: The Harlem Hellfighters 2. US Army Center of Military History, Henry Johnson Medal of Honor Citation 3. PBS, The Harlem Hellfighters: America's Forgotten WWI Heroes 4. White House, Presidential Medal of Honor Award Ceremony, 2015