Day 8 Black History Month 2021 - Sergeant Henry Johnson
Sergeant Henry Johnson (July 1892 – July 1929)
For day eight of Black History Month, we’d like to highlight Sergeant Henry Johnson, an American soldier, who served and fought during World War 1 as part of the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.”
Due to segregation in the military at the time, the 369th where detached and fought under the French 4th Army, which was positioned near the Argonne Forrest. During night sentry duty, Henry Johnson and his unit were overrun by a German raiding party, who were trying to capture soldiers to interrogate them for information. Despite being wounded over 20 times, and only wielding a bolo knife, he was able to fight off the Germans into a full retreat, preventing them from capturing any soldiers and breaking through the French lines.
When sunrise came, it became apparent what Johnson had done, killing four German soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and wounding between 15 to 20 more.
President Theodore Roosevelt referred to Johnson as, “one of the five bravest men who fought in World War I,” yet he received no honors for his bravery or sacrifice. In 1966, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. In 2003, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was accepted by his son, Herman Johnson, a Tuskegee Airman. Finally, in 2015, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama.
He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
“There wasn’t anything so fine about it. Just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that.” – Sergeant Henry Johnson
For day eight of Black History Month, we’d like to highlight Sergeant Henry Johnson, an American soldier, who served and fought during World War 1 as part of the 369th Infantry Regiment, better known as the “Harlem Hellfighters.”
Due to segregation in the military at the time, the 369th where detached and fought under the French 4th Army, which was positioned near the Argonne Forrest. During night sentry duty, Henry Johnson and his unit were overrun by a German raiding party, who were trying to capture soldiers to interrogate them for information. Despite being wounded over 20 times, and only wielding a bolo knife, he was able to fight off the Germans into a full retreat, preventing them from capturing any soldiers and breaking through the French lines.
When sunrise came, it became apparent what Johnson had done, killing four German soldiers in hand-to-hand combat and wounding between 15 to 20 more.
President Theodore Roosevelt referred to Johnson as, “one of the five bravest men who fought in World War I,” yet he received no honors for his bravery or sacrifice. In 1966, he was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart. In 2003, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, which was accepted by his son, Herman Johnson, a Tuskegee Airman. Finally, in 2015, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama.
He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia.
“There wasn’t anything so fine about it. Just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that.” – Sergeant Henry Johnson