Sgt. Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Awarded Medal of Honor

Nov 25 , 2025

Sgt. Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Awarded Medal of Honor

He was alone. Surrounded. Wounded. Yet, Sgt. Henry Johnson stood his ground—firing, stabbing, fighting off a dozen enemy soldiers to save his unit from slaughter. Bloodied and battered, with broken ribs and shattered flesh, he refused to fall. This was more than courage. This was war baptized in fire.

The Roots of a Warrior

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, a son of Albany, New York, growing up in a world that never gave him a fair chance. A Black man in Jim Crow America, the army offered something scarce: purpose and honor.

Faith was a compass amid chaos. Raised in a devout Baptist household, Johnson carried prayer and quiet strength into the trenches. His comrades recalled his steady calm. There was a dignity in his bearing, forged before the rifles spat fire.

He enlisted in the New York National Guard's 15th Infantry Regiment in 1917, a unit that would become the 369th Infantry Regiment—the "Harlem Hellfighters." These men knew from the start the fight was twofold: one against tyrants overseas, and one against racist shadows at home.

The Battle That Defined Him

The date: May 15, 1918. Near the French town of Argonne, darkness cloaked the forest. Johnson and his fellow sentinels were suddenly ambushed by a fierce German raiding party.

One enemy soldier broke through—the spearhead of the attack. Johnson’s reaction was brutal and swift.

Shot twice in the abdomen and battered with his own rifle, he wrenched free and grabbed a bolo knife. With no regard for his wounds, the sergeant slashed and stabbed, knocking down attackers one by one. He fought hand-to-hand, an unyielding wall between the enemy and his comrades.

His actions saved the life of Pvt. Needham Roberts, among others. Though Johnson suffered over 20 wounds—rifle bullets, bayonet stabs, and hand-to-hand blows—he maintained control of the situation until reinforcements arrived.

The battle was hell, but Henry Johnson was hell incarnate.

Honors Earned in Blood

Henry Johnson’s heroism was not immediately honored by the American military, a bitter reflection of the era’s racial divides. Yet the French government awarded him the Croix de Guerre with a Gold Medal, recognizing his outstanding bravery.

Official U.S. military recognition came decades later. In 2015, 97 years after that forest night, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration.

His citation spoke plainly of valor beyond measure:

"Johnson’s extraordinary heroism and bravery saved the lives of his fellow soldiers under horrific enemy attack at great personal risk."

Fellow soldiers remembered him as a warrior who fought not for glory but for his brothers-in-arms. His story was a testament to grit and sacrifice in the world’s darkest hour.

Legacy of Sacrifice and Redemption

Henry Johnson’s scars were deeper than skin. A Black soldier in a segregated army, he fought a battlefront unseen by history's broad light—against injustice and invisibility.

His courage pierced more than German lines; it pierced the myth that valor was a color-blind virtue.

Today, his life demands we remember the costs of war—on bodies and souls—and recognize the bravery that flows from the fiercest places of resilience.

He embodied a promise written in broken flesh and unyielding spirit:

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

To know Sgt. Henry Johnson is to witness a warrior who carried the weight of history on bloodied shoulders.

His fight was never just a battle—it was a witness. To honor all who stand in the breach, wounded but unbroken. Their fight, their legacy, is ours to carry onward.

For every scar holds a story of sacrifice—and every story demands remembrance.

Sources

1. Smithsonian Institution + Henry Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters 2. U.S. Department of Defense + Medal of Honor Citation: Sgt. Henry Johnson 3. The National WWII Museum + Harlem Hellfighters: African American Soldiers in WWI 4. The New York Times + "Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter, Awarded Medal of Honor" (2015)