Sgt Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line

Feb 08 , 2026

Sgt Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line

Blood on the wire. Night lost except for one man standing — alone, wounded, undeterred. Sgt. Henry Johnson held back death and the enemy alike with nothing but grit and grit’s bitter edge. No backup. No surrender. Just a rifle, some grenades, and a soul forged in fire.

From the Streets of Albany to the Trenches of France

Born in 1892, Henry Johnson grew up in the harsh wake of Jim Crow Albany, New York. Against the grinding odds of segregation and poverty, he found his compass not in empty dreams but in faith and fierce resolve. A devout Christian, Johnson carried Psalm 23 in his heart: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.” His belief grounded him — a code unshaken through brutality.

Drafted into the 15th New York National Guard—soon re-designated the 369th Infantry Regiment, the “Harlem Hellfighters”—Johnson faced two enemies: the Wehrmacht abroad and racism at home.

The Hellfighters left with pride but returned to discrimination. Yet Johnson’s spirit never bent. When the U.S. Army handed his unit off to the French command due to bigotry, the Harlem Hellfighters earned a reputation for relentless toughness. Their faithful creed? Fight like there’s no tomorrow — and sometimes, there isn’t.[1]

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. The forests near the French village of Argonne. Johnson and Private Needham Roberts were on sentry duty, dug in, watching the dark.

At 3 a.m., a German raiding party of about 24 stormed the lines—grenades booming through the mist. The attack was sudden, brutal.

Johnson grabbed his rifle. The first grenade exploded at his feet, showering him with mutilation—severe wounds riddled his arms and legs. Yet he charged forward, hurling back grenades, firing his Springfield M1903. Roberts fired alongside him until he collapsed, badly hurt.

Johnson fought alone.

Over the course of an hour, he killed several enemy soldiers, blasted away grenades with a bolo knife wielded one-handed, shouted and roared to ward off the attackers. Even with ribs broken, his jaw smashed, and eyes swollen, he would not break.

Against overwhelming odds, Johnson held the perimeter; the German assault was repelled. He saved the lives of multiple fellow soldiers, preventing his unit’s annihilation.[2]

Honoring Valor in A World That Almost Forgot

The U.S. Army awarded him the Croix de Guerre with palm, France's high honor for valor. But back home? Recognition was slow and grudging. Segregation’s shadow strangled justice.

It wasn’t until July 2015—almost a century later—that Sgt. Henry Johnson received the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama. The long-delayed award rightfully sealed his place in history.

General John J. Pershing once praised the 369th as “the finest soldiers in the world.” Johnson’s actions alone bore that out in raw, blood-soaked reality.

“They came out one by one, just like soldiers should,” Johnson recalled years later. “I was just fighting for my men. God was with me.”[3]

A Legacy Written in Sacrifice and Faith

Johnson left behind more than medals. He left a blueprint—a warning and a beacon.

Sacrifice amid cruelty. Courage despite pain. The soldier’s burden doesn’t vanish when the guns fall silent.

His fight against enemy and prejudice reminds us that valor is sometimes invisible to the world but never unseen by God.

Johnson’s story is not just history. It’s a call to honor those who bear wounds, seen and hidden. To believe that redemption is worth the struggle, even when blood stains the soil.

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

Sgt. Henry Johnson carried that truth across the trenches and into the pages of eternity. His scars whisper to us still: courage is carved in pain and answered with unwavering faith.

Sources

[1] Harlem Hellfighters: The African-American 369th Infantry in World War I, by Richard Slotkin, University Press [2] U.S. Army Center of Military History: Medal of Honor Citation for Henry Johnson [3] National Archives, Interview with Sgt. Henry Johnson, 1940s