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On the night of May 1918, Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts were patrolling a bridge
on the Argonne Forest's western side.
Johnson, a black American soldier, had been dispatched to France in 1918
to aid the French Army in its battle against the Germans.
When his companion fell asleep, Johnson began hearing a strange noise that only
became louder with time. When Roberts refused to wake up, Johnson started preparing his weapons,
including a French bayonet and an American bolo knife.
His suspicions were proved right when he noticed several German soldiers approaching them.
Johnson was terrified. But instead of running, he decided to fight.
And thus ensued a battle of one American man against dozens of German soldiers.
Johnson's one-man army took out four soldiers and wounded many, many more.
Although Johnson's story is one of true courage and heroism,
history condemned him to oblivion for many years because of the color of his skin.
Henry Johnson’s story of remarkable bravery and skill is but one of the many individual tales of
World War 1 heroism. Learn even more about some of these personal histories in the Magellan TV
documentary “Heroes of the Somme.” Featuring rare archival images and direct battlefield accounts,
“Heroes of the Somme” tells the stories of seven soldiers who won the Victoria Cross,
Britain’s most prized military honor, while fighting in one of history’s most brutal battles.
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A Mysterious Man
According to Henry Johnson himself, he was born in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, circa July 15,
1892. Other research states that Johnson could
have been born as early as 1887 or as late as 1897.
After moving to New York in the early 1900s, Johnson, just like every other teenager,
took on an assortment of odd jobs such as chauffeur, soda mixer,
server, coal yard worker, and railway porter.
In the spring of 1917, Johnson read in a newspaper that the 15th New York Infantry Regiment of the
New York National Guard, comprised entirely of black soldiers, was accepting enlistees.
Johnson, a scrawny and short man, showed up in June 1917 ready to serve his country.
He was assigned to Company C of the 15th, later referred to as the 369th U.S Infantry Regiment.
He was dispatched to Camp Wadsworth in South Carolina. Johnson's primary duties were hard
labor, such as unloading supply trucks and digging up for latrine installation.
Although black men had served in the American military since the Independence War,
they were considered inferior and received segregated training.
It was also during this time when Johnson met and subsequently married his wife,
Georgina Edna Jackson.
French Dispatch
It was 1918, and World War 1 was in its final stages. France was suffering from
a shortage of men, so the United States agreed to send the 369th Infantry Regiment.
Their commander, Colonel William Hayward, positively believed in
his men's abilities and lobbied for them to have their chance in combat.
And so, the 369th, which later became known as the Harlem Hellfighters,
finished their hard labor duties and were welcomed into the 161st division of the French Army.
They were even given jackets and helmets belonging to the foreign military.
In March 1918, Johnson and his fellow soldiers began taking French lessons
to understand their superiors' commands.
They were given french rifles and were allowed to hold on to their American bolo knives.
Although the knife was heavy, Johnson would later be grateful for this unassuming weapon.
After joining the trenches that same month, Johnson was paired up with fellow American
Needham Roberts and assigned sentry duty on the Argonne Forest's western side.
On the night of May 14, both men were on duty patrolling near a bridge
when their most unforgettable night began.
The Night Everything Changed
As their night shift wound down, Johnson spotted two relief soldiers approaching the area.
Since the men were younger than him, and thus, less experienced,
he did not want to leave them alone, so he stayed to survey the area.
It was then when Johnson began to hear strange noises. He ran
back to the trench where Roberts was resting and attempted to wake him up.
But his fellow soldier was tired and, believing Johnson was being paranoid, asked him to relax.
But Johnson would not give in and began preparing his weapons,
piling up an assortment of cartridges and grenades.
The noises became louder and louder. At one point, Johnson heard a clipping noise,
which he thought to be the perimeter fence being cut by bolt cutters.
He again tried to wake up Roberts, but this time, he said [QUOTE]
"Man, you better wake up pretty soon, or you [might] never wake up."
When Roberts heard the clipping noise, he and Johnson began lobbing grenades into the darkness
in hopes that whoever was around would run back to where they came from.
Suddenly, dozens of German soldiers with bayonets appeared out of the darkness,
firing at them. The Americans were surrounded and heavily outnumbered.
When Roberts tried to run for help, he was hit by a grenade's shrapnel in his arm and hip.
Still awake, he handed Johnson more grenades. When those ran out,
Johnson began firing his rifle at the Germans, all while being hit by bullets all over his body.
Stunned by the commotion, a confused Johnson tried to arm his french rifle
with an American cartridge. However, they were incompatible, and the weapon jammed.
With the Germans coming closer and closer to him, Johnson began using his unusable
rifle as a club to hit as many Germans as he could. When the butt of his rifle fell apart,
Johnson also went down to the ground after being hit in the head.
But Johnson didn't stay down. The soldier stood back up,
drew his American bolo knife, and charged it at every German he encountered.
When Johnson saw that the Germans were trying to haul Roberts away,
he ran to the scene and attacked more and more soldiers.
This grisly scene lasted for about an hour, with Johnson hacking and stabbing even as bullets
continued to strike him. When the reinforcements arrived, the remaining Germans fled the scene.
Johnson and Roberts were taken to an Army hospital, where they received medical attention.
Both men survived.
Johnson was shot 5 times on his feet, thigh, arm, and head. He had a large
scar on his lip and a large bruise on his torso, where a bayonet had been plunged in.
In total, Johnson suffered over 21 injuries as a result of his one-man battle against the Germans.
Extraordinary Valor
When French military officials visited the scene of the battle, they encountered a grisly scene.
The ground was permeated with pools of blood, German helmets,
and four bodies. Johnson's superiors estimated that he had wounded 25 Germans.
Thanks to his bravery, Johnson prevented the German group from breaking the French line.
The story spread around fast. The bridge where Johnson and Roberts had spent their
shift on became known as "The Battle of Henry Johnson." American officials gave
him the unofficial nickname of Black Death and promoted him to sergeant.
Before Johnson and Roberts returned to America, the French Army honored them with the Croix de
Guerre, an award for valor. They were the first two Americans to receive such an honor.
Johnson's medal was also amended with a Gold Palm's addition, given
to men who have demonstrated extraordinary valor.
However, when the men arrived in the United States, the story was vastly different for them.
Back in New York, Johnson recuperated from his injuries while the country celebrated his bravery,
albeit with a clear difference from his white counterparts.
Johnson was a national hero, but he was also black. In the parade that honored
the Harlem Hellfighters in 1919, the men could not march with the white soldiers.
After Johnson's honorable discharge, the Army used his image to recruit
new black soldiers and sold Victory War stamps with his face on them.
A Redeeming Legacy
Unfortunately, just like his early years,
Johnson's life after his brave battle is plagued with mystery.
Despite his extensive list of injuries, Henry Johnson attempted to make a life for himself
and his family. As an uneducated young black man in his twenties,
Johnson returned to New York, where he worked as a Red Cap porter at the train station.
However, he never could overcome his injuries.
His discharge records erroneously made no mention of his wounds.
Thus, Johnson was denied a Purple Heart and a disability allowance as well.
His inability to hold down a job, as well as pain from his shattered foot,
eventually led him to the bottle. Over the years, he became estranged from his family,
and his wife and children eventually left him.
On July 1, 1929, Henry Johnson passed away of myocarditis,
a type of heart inflammation, destitute and homeless. He was only 32 years old.
A brave and selfless man who had earned the nickname Black Death in combat was soon forgotten.
However, over the years, Henry Johnson's legacy has been recognized by several political figures.
Co-founder of the American Legion Theodore Roosevelt,
Jr., son of former United States President Theodore Roosevelt,
once called Johnson one of the five bravest Americans to serve in World War 1.
In 1996, President Bill Clinton posthumously awarded Henry Johnson the Purple Heart.
For decades, Johnson's remains location was a mystery. It wasn't until 2002 when researchers
at the New York Division of Military and Naval Affairs investigated his service and
determined that he had been buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.
After this confirmation, Johnson was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross the following year.
In 2015, President Barack Obama awarded Henry Johnson the Medal of Honor,
which was accepted on Johnson's behalf by Sergeant Major Louis Wilson of the New York National Guard.
In his remarks at the presentation, the president stated [QUOTE]:
"Now, America can't change what happened to Henry Johnson. We can't change what happened to too many
soldiers like him, who went uncelebrated because our nation judged them by the color of their skin
and not the content of their character. But we can do our best to make it right."
Every June 5, Albany celebrates Henry Johnson Day, acknowledging the day he began his army service.
The city also gives out a Henry Johnson Award for Distinguished Community Service
for citizens making contributions in the area.
Despite his undeniable bravery, Johnson, a humble man, begrudgingly referred to his
heroic and selfless act, almost as if it were of no significant consequence.
According to him [QUOTE]: "There wasn't anything so fine about it,
I just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that."