Sgt. Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line in WWI

Feb 04 , 2026

Sgt. Henry Johnson Harlem Hellfighter Who Held the Line in WWI

Blood on the frozen earth. Gunshots crack like thunder in the dark. Sgt. Henry Johnson is not just fighting for survival—he’s fighting to save every single man under his command. Wounded and bleeding, he stands unyielding. The enemy closes in, a raiding party intent on slaughter. Johnson becomes a one-man wall. That night is a night of heroes.

The Backbone of a Fighter

Born to poverty in Brunswick, New York, Henry Johnson carried the weight of discrimination and hardship long before the guns ever fired. A Black soldier in a segregated army, his valor wouldn’t come wrapped in ceremony or easy praise at first. He carried something stronger—a code written in sweat, faith, and a hunger for justice.

He moved with quiet grace but fierce resolve. A devout man, Johnson’s spirit was anchored in Psalm 18:39: “For you equipped me with strength for the battle; you made my adversaries bow at my feet.” That faith would become his shield in the trenches of war. Despite the army’s broken promises and the stain of Jim Crow, he fought with an unbroken heart to prove worth not with words, but with action.

The Battle That Defined Him

May 15, 1918. In the dense black woods near the Argonne Forest, France, Johnson was part of the 369th Infantry Regiment—the Harlem Hellfighters, famed for their tenacity and courage. The night was cold, thick with fog and threat.

A German raiding party struck with silent menace against Johnson’s unit, looking to kill, capture, and terrorize. Alone—Johnson was alone after a grenade explosion wounded his patrol partner—he faced the enemy in brutal hand-to-hand combat. Gunfire, grenades, fists, teeth. He fought ferocious and fast, cutting down twelve German soldiers with rifle fire and his bolo knife.

Though shot multiple times, with broken bones and deep wounds, Johnson refused to fall. His defense stopped the Germans from overrunning the unit’s rear lines. He carried his critically injured comrade to safety under a hailstorm of bullets. His presence saved lives. His courage held the line.

Honors Hard Won

Recognition did not come quickly. African American soldiers of World War I faced severe institutional neglect. Henry Johnson’s heroism was acknowledged decades later, delayed by the color of his skin and the politics of the times.

In 1919, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre avec Palme—the highest French military honor for valor. But the United States largely ignored him for years. It wasn’t until 2015 that President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Sgt. Johnson the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—cementing his place among America’s bravest. Official citations stress his “extraordinary heroism” and the “valiant efforts to fend off and capture enemy soldiers despite sustaining terrible wounds.”^[1]

Major General Julien A. C. St. Clair complimented Johnson’s courage at the time:

“Sgt. Henry Johnson displayed courage and endurance of the highest order. His actions inspired our entire unit.”

Legacy of a Warrior-Poet

Henry Johnson’s story cuts through the noise of forgotten histories. He is the father of every soldier who fights against overwhelming odds, the symbol of dignity against discrimination, and proof that heroism is not defined by race or rank. His scars spoke louder than words and carried a message: Valor does not discriminate.

In remembering Johnson, one is reminded that courage—real courage—is born in the crucible of sacrifice. He embodied the biblical promise that the righteous will be remembered despite the shadows cast by injustice. His life echoes like a battlefield psalm, a reminder that every soldier carries both wounds and worth.

“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me.”

—Psalm 23:4

Sgt. Henry Johnson walked that valley. He walked it alone. And he walked it with honor.

Sources

1. Congressional Medal of Honor Society, Medal of Honor Citation for Sgt. Henry Johnson. 2. United States Army Center of Military History, 369th Infantry Regiment – Harlem Hellfighters. 3. The New York Times, “Henry Johnson, Harlem Hellfighter, Awarded Medal of Honor,” 2015.