Sergeant Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Refused to Yield

Nov 08 , 2025

Sergeant Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Refused to Yield

Blood ran hot that night. Bullets screamed through the dark, ripping the silence apart near the Marne River. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood alone—wounded, weapon empty, facing waves of German raiders hunting down his unit. No backup. No retreat. Just raw grit and an iron will to protect his brothers.

The Forge of a Fighter

Born in 1892 in Albany, New York, Henry Johnson was no stranger to hardship. The son of West Indian immigrants, he grew up working the railroad and carrying the weight of prejudice before the war picked him up and dropped him into hell.

Faith was his backbone. Raised in the Baptist tradition, Johnson held tight to scriptures like Psalm 23 — “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil…” This scripture was not idle comfort. It was a weapon, a shield in a world ready to tear him apart on sight.

He knew his duty wasn’t just to himself but to every man beside him. Honour, courage, sacrifice: the trinity that drove him forward.

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. The forests outside the Bois de Belleau were choked with smoke and chaos. Johnson served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, the "Harlem Hellfighters" — an all-Black unit fighting shoulder to shoulder with the French, betrayed by American segregation and scorn. The Germans came under cover of darkness, a raiding party bent on slaughter.

Outnumbered and with his unit’s defenses crumbling, Johnson and Private Needham Roberts faced an onslaught of over 20 enemy soldiers. Despite wounds tearing through his flesh—shrapnel in his arms, a jagged bayonet slash—Johnson fought like a demon unchained.

He wielded a bolo knife ferociously, slashing, stabbing, fighting until his hands bled. When his rifle jammed, he kept throwing grenades, blocking, dragging Roberts out of the line of fire. Hours passed. The raiders fell back. The night was won because one man refused to quit.

Sergeant Henry Johnson’s actions saved his platoon from annihilation. They prevented a full breach of the Allied lines. He was a one-man fortress.

Recognition in the Shadows

It would take decades before Henry Johnson’s valor burned through the fog of systemic neglect. At the time, the French awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm—the highest French honor for valor—making him the first African American soldier so decorated in WWI.

Back home, recognition was sparse. Racial prejudices blinded many. The U.S. Army awarded him a Purple Heart, but not the full glory he deserved.

Only in 2015—almost 97 years after his fight—did the Medal of Honor arrive posthumously, awarded by President Barack Obama.

His citation reads:

“By his extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty, Sgt. Henry Johnson saved the lives of numerous fellow soldiers and stopped the enemy from penetrating the American sector.”[1]

His commander, Col. Charles W. Whittlesey, fabled leader of the "Lost Battalion," called Johnson:

“A courageous and fearless soldier whose gallantry inspired everyone who saw him fight.”[2]

The Unbreakable Legacy

Henry Johnson’s story is no clean fairy tale. It's bloodied, torn, trampled by history’s blind spots. But it’s a testament to the unyielding soul of a warrior.

His courage was not born of glory-seeking but out of responsibility—to his unit, to his country, to his own humanity. This is why his name echoes far beyond medals or pages of history.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

The Harlem Hellfighter’s fight was never just theirs. Every scar he carried is a chapter in the greater story—of battle, of brotherhood, and the endless quest for dignity amid hardship.

For veterans today, Henry Johnson’s life is a call. Not just to fight hard, but to endure with honor when the world forgets your sacrifice. And for civilians—remember that true valor often arrives silent, marked by wounds and unsung deeds.

He stood in the darkness so others might see the dawn.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, "Medal of Honor Citation: Henry Johnson" [2] Martin, Tony, Harlem's Hellfighters: The African-American 369th Infantry in World War I