Sgt. Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter Awarded the Medal of Honor

Feb 06 , 2026

Sgt. Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter Awarded the Medal of Honor

Sgt. Henry Johnson bled in the mud, fists clenched, bullets whipping past. German shadows lunged from the dark. He stood alone—wounded, outnumbered—and held his ground. His steel voice cut through the chaos: “Get back!” The line would not break.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Henry Johnson carried the weight of a country divided against itself and a world steeped in war. A descendant of enslaved ancestors, he knew hardship before he ever carried a rifle. His faith was forged in city churches where psalms told stories of salvation through struggle.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Psalm 23:1) It was this quiet strength that girded him, even when the world aimed to tear him asunder. Henry lived by a simple creed — fight with honor, protect your brothers, never falter.

The Battle That Defined Him

1918. The Meuse-Argonne Offensive. The final throes of World War I. Henry was a corporal in the 369th Infantry Regiment — the Harlem Hellfighters — an all-Black unit fighting in France under French command because the U.S. Army refused to arm them fully. Racism abroad and at home was a battle within their souls, alongside the enemy on the field.

On the night of May 15, thunder broke. A German raiding party stormed his squad’s position near the Bois de Belleau. It was a surprise attack designed to annihilate their outpost.

Henry’s world narrowed. Amid machine gun fire and grenades, he fought through grievous wounds. A bayonet slash gashed his head. A grenade shattered his left arm. Blood soaked his uniform. Yet he delivered blow after blow with his rifle butt, grenade, and fists. Alone, he killed at least a dozen enemy soldiers, carrying his mortally wounded comrade to safety.

The French commander who witnessed the carnage called it “a legend, a miracle of courage.”

Recognition: Medal of Honor at Last

Henry Johnson’s heroism was recognized by France immediately with the Croix de Guerre, but his own country looked the other way — a bitter reflection of the racial prejudice alive in 1918 America.

It wasn’t until decades later, in 2015, long after his death in 1929, that the U.S. awarded Sgt. Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—in a belated act of reckoning and honor. President Barack Obama said at the ceremony:

“Henry Johnson saved countless lives on that battlefield. His story is one of courage, sacrifice, and faith under fire.”[1]

His citation speaks plainly:

“For extraordinary heroism fighting off a superior force while severely wounded, saving the lives of fellow soldiers, and carrying a wounded comrade to safety.”[2]

The Legacy of a Hellfighter

Henry Johnson’s story is not just a tale of battle. It is the story of a warrior who stood against more than enemy bullets—against injustice, invisibility, and silence. His scars are testimony to the brutal realities of combat and the courage it takes to fight for recognition.

He left us a legacy framed in sacrifice. The Harlem Hellfighters paved a road for future generations of Black soldiers, challenging a nation to confront its own contradictions.

“Be strong and courageous.” (Joshua 1:9) His life demanded courage beyond the battlefield — courage to defy hatred and claim dignity.

Tonight, we remember Sgt. Henry Johnson: a man forged in fire and faith, whose fists and heart stopped darkness itself. His fight was never just for survival. It was for honor, brotherhood, and justice.

The battlefield’s blood has long dried, but his story bleeds on—reminding us all that courage, true courage, never fades.

Sources

1. U.S. Department of Defense, Medal of Honor Ceremony for Sgt. Henry Johnson, 2015. 2. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Citation for Sgt. Henry Johnson.