Sgt. Henry Johnson and the Valor of the Harlem Hellfighters

Feb 24 , 2026

Sgt. Henry Johnson and the Valor of the Harlem Hellfighters

A man stands alone in the mud, bullets tearing the night apart. His hands, raw and bleeding, grip a shattered rifle. The enemy swarms like a dark tide. Yet he does not falter. Sgt. Henry Johnson was that man—an unyielding force in the hellscape of World War I. When the night whispered death, he roared defiance.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1892 in Albany, New York, Henry Johnson's early life was marked by the harsh realities of an America divided by color and opportunity. A black man in the Jim Crow era, Johnson's world was shaped by enduring faith and an ironclad sense of duty.

He found strength in scripture and prayer—words that would steel him in the trenches. Psalm 23 echoed in his heart, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” This wasn’t empty comfort; it was a battle anthem.

Johnson enlisted with the New York National Guard’s 15th Infantry Regiment. The 15th was later federalized as the 369th Infantry Regiment—but better known as the Harlem Hellfighters. They marched to France with a fierce resolve, fighting not just a foreign enemy but racial prejudice at home and abroad.

The Battle That Defined Him

Nightfall on May 15, 1918, near the Château-Thierry sector of France twisted into chaos. A German raiding party crept behind Allied lines, intent on slaughter and sabotage.

Johnson’s post was overrun. Alone, wounded by grenade shrapnel and gunfire, he refused to give ground.

Armed with his knife and a rifle, he fought like a cornered lion—his hands carving the darkness with blows. Reports say he killed multiple enemy soldiers, burned through several grenades, and held his ground despite two grievous wounds. One arm shattered, the other useless. Yet he would not yield.

He dragged a badly injured comrade to safety under fire and continued to fight until reinforcements arrived.

“Every time I think about Sgt. Henry Johnson, I think about relentless courage,” said a fellow soldier in interviews decades later. No man—no matter how broken—forgot what he did that night.

Recognition Demanded, Twice Denied

Johnson’s actions were remarkable, but they didn’t burst immediately into public acclaim.

With segregation and racism normal in the U.S. military, recognition was slow and sparse. Johnson earned the French Croix de Guerre with a special citation—not handed lightly to any soldier—which praised him as "One-man army" for his heroism.

The U.S. military, meanwhile, awarded him the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. Yet the highest honor remained out of reach, lost to racial barriers entrenched in the military establishment.

It wasn’t until 2015—almost a century later—that Sgt. Henry Johnson was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. The citation read:

“For extraordinary heroism in action during World War I... Sergeant Henry Johnson distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.”

Mayor Bill de Blasio called Johnson “the greatest and most heroic New Yorker ever.”

Legacy Etched in Blood and Valor

The legacy of Sgt. Henry Johnson is not just a story of valor. It’s a searing indictment of a nation’s failure to honor its own, and yet a testament to individual courage that outlasted that failure.

He embodies the truth that valor does not heed the color of skin. Johnson’s story reminds us that no darkness is too vast when the light of purpose and faith burns bright.

His scars were physical and societal. Yet through his sacrifice, the Harlem Hellfighters shattered myths and inspired generations.

Today, the 369th Infantry Regiment’s lineage continues. So does Johnson’s spirit: raw, unbroken, and fiercely determined.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” — Joshua 1:9

In the end, Sgt. Henry Johnson did not just fight Germans in the trenches—he battled prejudice, injustice, and silence. His life, a battlefield journal of sacrifice, reminds every veteran and civilian alike: courage is forged in fire, and redemption demands we remember the fallen truthfully.

Sources

1. The Harlem Hellfighters by Max Brooks and Caanan White 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor citation for Sergeant Henry Johnson 3. Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, “Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters” 4. White House Archives, Medal of Honor Ceremony Transcript, 2015