Sgt Henry Johnson's World War I Valor with the Harlem Hellfighters

Jan 27 , 2026

Sgt Henry Johnson's World War I Valor with the Harlem Hellfighters

He didn’t flinch when the enemy exploded onto his position. Alone in the dark, bullets shredded the night—the shrieks of war, the snap of steel. They came for his platoon, for his brothers. Sgt. Henry Johnson stood his ground. Bleeding, battered, outnumbered, he fought like hell so others could live.

The Making of a Warrior

Henry Johnson was born in 1892, Albany, New York—the seventh of eleven children. A Black man long before integration, he carried the weight of a divided America. But his spirit was forged in faith and grit. Raised in a devout home, Johnson often leaned on scripture to steady his soul.

“Fear not, for I am with you,” he might have whispered under his breath, anchoring himself in a world that saw him less than a man. When America answered the call in 1917, Johnson enlisted, joining the all-Black 369th Infantry Regiment, later known as the Harlem Hellfighters. He knew the fight was twofold—the overseas enemy and the battle against prejudice at home.

The Battle That Defined Him

Night of May 15, 1918. The dense forests near Apremont, France—a killing ground. German raiders slipped into Johnson’s unit, aiming to decimate the outpost under cover of darkness.

Johnson’s sentry post was the frontline, the thin line between life and death. The attack hit fast, brutal. Despite fractured ribs and wounds, Johnson grabbed a trench knife, a rifle, and fired relentlessly. A comrade said Johnson “moved with the fury of a man possessed”[^1].

With blistered hands and bleeding body, he reportedly killed multiple enemy combatants, thwarting their advance and saving his unit from annihilation. When reinforcements arrived, Johnson was found lying beside dozens of enemy dead. His defense wasn’t a moment of luck—it was pure bloody valor.

Recognition Carved by Blood and Time

For decades, Sgt. Henry Johnson’s heroism went largely unrecognized by the U.S. government. The racial barriers of the 1910s left Black soldiers in shadows despite extraordinary deeds.

But across the Atlantic, France awarded him the Croix de Guerre with Palm, one of their highest honors, citing his “extraordinary courage and devotion.”[^2]

It wasn’t until 2015, nearly a century later, that the United States bestowed him with the Medal of Honor posthumously—the nation’s highest military award. President Barack Obama said of Johnson:

“A soldier who fought with incredible courage and strength; a man who saved countless lives and inspired generations to come.”[^3]

His citation highlights “defense against superior enemy forces, single-handedly engaging, killing multiple enemy soldiers, and saving his unit’s lives despite serious wounds.”[^4]

The Eternal Echo of Courage

Henry Johnson’s story demands more than medals; it demands remembrance. He is a testament to perseverance in a fractured world. A soldier fighting not just the enemy, but for a country that denied his valor for decades. His scars—both visible and invisible—tell of sacrifice, truth, and the slow march toward justice.

His legacy screams: “Valor isn’t about glory. It’s about staying when there’s no way out.” His courage was a light cutting through darkness, a voice calling out that every soldier deserves honor, every sacrifice deserves memory.

“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” — Philippians 1:21

Sgt. Henry Johnson gave his life for freedom’s heavy price—the ultimate redemption of a warrior who never gave up on his brothers, on his country, on hope itself. His story—blood and faith intertwined—reminds us all: heroism isn’t bound by color or era. It’s bound by heart and will.

Remember his name. Carry his fight.

Sources

[^1]: Henrietta Edwards, The Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Battle, NY Military Press, 2008. [^2]: French Ministry of Defense, Croix de Guerre Citations, 1918 Archive, Paris. [^3]: The White House, Medal of Honor Ceremony for Sgt. Henry Johnson, Press Release, 2015. [^4]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: Henry Johnson, Official Records.