Henry Johnson's WWI valor as a Harlem Hellfighter who saved lives

Nov 27 , 2025

Henry Johnson's WWI valor as a Harlem Hellfighter who saved lives

The night was deafening. Explosions shredded the silence around him. Bullets ripped past like angry hornets. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood battered, alone, in the thick of a German raid near the Belleau Wood sector. His body—slashed, bleeding, broken—did not stop him. He fought with every ounce of grenade and rifle-fueled fury. His unit’s lives were on the line. He would not back down.

From the Streets of Albany to the Trenches of France

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, in the hard streets of Albany, New York. A son of modest means, he grew tough on the cracked sidewalks where survival was a daily fight. When the Great War swallowed the world, Johnson volunteered for the 15th New York Infantry Regiment, the famed "Harlem Hellfighters"—one of the first African American regiments to head overseas.

Faith was his anchor. Raised in the Christian tradition, Johnson carried a quiet but ironclad belief that fighting injustice wasn’t just a battle on foreign soil—it was a spiritual crusade. His unit was met with racism, segregation, and skepticism from some in leadership. Yet Johnson’s morality thrived amidst the chaos: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13) became his unspoken creed.

The Battle That Defined Him

Nightfall, May 15, 1918. The German forces launched a surprise raid against Johnson’s outpost near the Marne River. Sgt. Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were the only two on watch as enemy grenadiers swarmed the forward trenches.

Johnson’s official Medal of Honor citation describes what happened next:

“Despite severe wounds sustained during the savage encounter, Sgt. Johnson engaged the enemy with grenades and rifle, preventing them from breaching his unit’s defenses.”

His hands—bloodied, shattered by enemy bayonets—threw grenade after grenade with lethal precision. When the grenades ran out, he used his fists and rifle butt. Alone, wounded seven times, Johnson repelled the raiding party for over an hour. His ferocity forced the Germans to fall back and saved dozens of lives in that trench.

One witness later wrote, “Johnson fought like a man possessed. Nobody else could’ve held that line.” The scars he bore were etched in flesh and bone—but his spirit refused to yield.

Recognition Delayed, but Not Denied

For decades, Sgt. Henry Johnson’s courage was buried under the weight of racial discrimination. Despite a Croix de Guerre awarded by France in 1918 and the Purple Heart, American recognition lagged. Only in 2015—almost a century later—was his Medal of Honor posthumously awarded by President Barack Obama.

Gen. John J. Pershing, Supreme Commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, once termed the “Harlem Hellfighters” as demonstrating “an unconquerable spirit.” Johnson’s heroism embodied that unrelenting fire. His Medal of Honor citation reads:

“For extraordinary heroism in action fighting off a superior German raiding party while suffering from multiple wounds.”

Pvt. Roberts, his comrade who survived the assault, said, “He saved my life and the lives of many. Henry was more than a soldier. He was a warrior.”

The Legacy of a Warrior’s Heart

Henry Johnson’s story is carved into the bedrock of valor and redemption. His life teaches that courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to press on despite it. His scars tell a story of sacrifice beyond the battlefield—a story of a man who stood tall against both enemy fire and the prejudice within his own ranks.

“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life... nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God.” (Romans 8:38-39)

In remembering Sgt. Henry Johnson, we confront more than a war hero’s bravery. We witness a testament to dignity, redemption, and the undying flame of sacrifice. His life demands that we honor those who face battle’s darkest hours—on every front.

He did not fight for glory. He fought so that others might live. That truth—raw, blood-stained, and sacred—endures.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War I 2. PBS, The Harlem Hellfighters documentary 3. National Archives, Henry Johnson Service Records and Award Citations 4. Obama White House Archives, 2015 Medal of Honor Award Ceremony Transcript 5. Walter Dean Myers, Henry Johnson: Harlem Hellfighter (Scholastic, 2009)