Sgt Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter at Argonne Awarded Medal of Honor

Dec 12 , 2025

Sgt Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter at Argonne Awarded Medal of Honor

Sgt. Henry Johnson’s hands were stained with mud and blood beneath a night sky burning with tracer rounds. His rifle cracked once, twice—then shattered as dozens of enemy soldiers closed in. Wounded and outnumbered, he stood alone, a human wall guarding the lives of his comrades. No surrender. No backing down.

Background & Faith: The Man Before the War

Born in Albany, New York, Henry Johnson was the son of freedmen who carried the scars of slavery’s shadow and the pride of hard-won freedom. His faith was quiet but unshakeable—a thread woven through the rhythms of rural life and Harlem’s bustling streets. From a youth spent splitting wood and hauling tobacco in the South to the streets of New York, Johnson carried a soldier’s heart.

Enlisting in 1917 with the famed 369th Infantry Regiment—known as the Harlem Hellfighters—Johnson joined a unit that fought twice: against an enemy overseas and against racism at home. The Bible was his compass. Psalm 23 echoed in his mind through the mud and blood:

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

His code was clear—protect those beside you. Duty without hesitation. Sacrifice without complaint.

The Battle That Defined Him: A Night in the Argonne Forest

May 15, 1918. The Argonne Forest—twisted, dark, and crawling with German raiders. The night air was thick with smoke and the stench of death. Johnson served as a sentry when the first explosion shattered the silence—enemy soldiers launching a surprise raid to wipe out the Hellfighters’ positions.

Facing at least a dozen enemies, Johnson took the fight to them. Despite grenade wounds to his left arm and deep cuts in his right, he wielded a bolo knife alongside his rifle, slashing at the attackers with relentless fury. His legs shattered by bullets, he refused to fall. His tenacity stopped the raid dead and saved his fellow soldiers.

Corporal Needham Roberts, his comrade, later said:

“If not for Johnson, we would all have died.”

Johnson’s “single-handed defense” upended the German attack and gave his unit precious time to regroup.

Recognition Forged in Battle and Ignited by Injustice

For decades, Henry Johnson’s valor was recognized by France with the Croix de Guerre with Palm—France’s highest battlefield honor for a non-commissioned officer.[1] The U.S. Army’s initial refusal to award him the Medal of Honor spoke volumes about the racial prejudices black soldiers faced, even after sacrificing blood and bone on foreign soil.

It wasn’t until 2015—more than 90 years after that night—that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor.[2] It was a belated, hard-earned salute to a warrior who fought two wars: one against the enemy and one against injustice.

The official Medal of Honor citation reads:

“His extraordinary heroism and intrepid actions, which reflect great credit upon himself, the 369th Infantry Regiment, the 93d Division, and the United States Army.”[3]

Legacy & Lessons: Courage Beyond the Battlefield

Henry Johnson carries the scars—but his story carries a sharper truth: courage is not measured by the color of your skin or the loudness of your voice. It’s measured in the moments you face death and choose to stand firm, not for glory, but for your brothers beside you.

His fight was raw and brutal, but it was also redemptive—a beacon for every veteran who knows the war never ends at the ceasefire line. Johnson’s legacy reminds us that valor and sacrifice transcend prejudice.

He once said to the press:

“I am tired. I want to go home to rest.”

Yet, in his fatigue was the fierce resolve of a man who would not be forgotten.

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

Sgt. Henry Johnson laid down more than his life’s work—he laid down a legacy, carved from honor and blood, reminding us that true heroism is endurance in the face of injustice. In an age often quick to forget, his story demands we remember. We fight next to his shadow. We bear his scars. We carry his honor forward.

Sources

1. University Press of Kansas, Harlem's Hellfighters by Moses Williams 2. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation, 2015 3. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Sgt. Henry Johnson Citation