Sergeant Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and World War I Hero

Oct 09 , 2025

Sergeant Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter and World War I Hero

Blood soaked the earth beneath the night sky. Flames lit the woods around Sgt. Henry Johnson as he fought off wave after wave of German soldiers, his body riddled with bullets and bayonets. Alone, outnumbered, near death—he refused to fall. He would not let his unit die under his watch.

The Roots of a Warrior

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina—a time and place where opportunity was scarce and hardship was plenty. A son of African-American parents, he carried a heavy burden before ever stepping on foreign soil. Yet, from the soil of that segregated America grew a man of unshakeable resolve and quiet faith.

He enlisted in the 15th New York National Guard, an all-Black unit known later as the Harlem Hellfighters. Their motto was simple: fight with honor, earn respect where the world denied them dignity.

Johnson’s faith was a steady drumbeat beneath the chaos. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13) was not just words—it was survival.

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918, near the village of Apremont, France. The trenches were silent but for the whisper of coming doom. German raiding parties struck hard in the dead of night. Johnson was on sentry duty with Pvt. Needham Roberts when fate slammed into their position.

Attacked from multiple directions, Johnson fought back with fists, rifle, and a bolo knife. He reportedly stabbed, bludgeoned, and battled mercilessly in hand-to-hand combat, sustaining 21 wounds including shattered ribs and a head wound. Yet he kept slashing and shooting till the enemy fled.

His actions saved Roberts and held the line until reinforcements arrived. The 15th NY’s war diary simply said: “Sergeant Henry Johnson fought like a demon.”

That night, Johnson faced death and spat in its eye.

Medal of Honor and Recognition

Johnson’s heroism during World War I went unrecognized at first. Racial prejudice blocked his valor from the highest honors. But voices grew louder over decades.

In 2015, 97 years later, President Barack Obama awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration. The citation praised his “extraordinary heroism” and “selfless courage.”

“He fought off a dozen German soldiers, armed with his rifle, a bolo knife, and his bare hands. His courage saved his comrade’s life and set a heroic example for all,” the citation reads.

His story was met with overdue respect from comrades and historians alike. Harlem Hellfighters veterans remembered him as the soldier who carried them all on his shoulders that night.

Legacy and Lessons Carved in Blood

Henry Johnson’s tale is not just war history—it’s a mirror on courage born into the darkest places. It speaks to those who step into the breach despite deep wounds, personal or systemic.

Sacrifice demands recognition beyond color, beyond politics. Johnson’s fight was not just against the German raiders but against an injustice that followed him long after the guns fell silent.

He showed what it means to be a guardian of brothers in combat. To face death no matter the odds. To resist the decay of morale with pure grit and faith. And to walk wounded—body and soul—but standing.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” (Deuteronomy 31:6)

His legacy still marches. In every veteran who bears unseen scars. In every soldier who fights for a cause bigger than self. Sgt. Henry Johnson’s story demands we see the human cost of valor and the power of redemption born in the crucible of hell.

We owe this warrior—this brother—the remembrance he earned in blood. And we carry forward the torch he lit with a blade and an unbreakable will.