In the early hours of May 15, 1918, a 26-year-old railway porter from Albany, New York, found himself alone in a French forest, facing a German raiding party of nearly two dozen men. His rifle jammed after the first shot. His comrade lay wounded beside him. So Henry Johnson did what seemed impossible: he fought with a bolo knife and his bare fists, killing at least four Germans and driving off the rest—all while suffering 21 wounds. The French would call him ‘the bravest man in the world.’ The Germans gave his entire regiment a nickname: the Hellfighters.
This was the 369th Infantry Regiment, a unit of Black American soldiers from Harlem who spent 191 days in continuous front-line combat—longer than any other American regiment in World War I. They never lost a foot of ground to the enemy. They never had a soldier captured. Yet when they returned home, they were met not with gratitude, but with the same racism they had fought to defeat overseas.
Their story is one of extraordinary bravery, institutional prejudice, and a cultural legacy that reached far beyond the battlefield. It’s the story of men who had to fight two wars: one against the Germans, and one against the color line in their own army.
The Making of a Regiment
The 369th Infantry Regiment began as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, formed in 1916. Over 90% of its soldiers were Black Americans, many drawn from the vibrant community of Harlem. But the officer corps was initially all-white—a source of deep controversy. Colonel William Hayward, a white lawyer and politician, commanded the regiment. While Hayward was a staunch advocate for his men, the racial dynamics of the era meant that Black soldiers were rarely trusted to lead.
The regiment was federalized in 1917 and sent to Camp Wadsworth in South Carolina for training. There, they encountered intense racial hostility from local whites and from the Army itself. Instead of preparing for combat, they were often assigned menial labor. The War Department, already nervous after the 1917 Houston Riot involving Black soldiers, was reluctant to deploy Black combat units. The prevailing belief among many white officers was that Black men lacked the courage or intelligence for war.
From Laborers to Front-Line Fighters
When the 369th finally arrived in France in late 1917, they were initially relegated to stevedore and dockworker duties. The men had volunteered to fight, not to unload ships. Frustration grew.
General John J. Pershing, commander of the American Expeditionary Forces, refused to ‘lend’ Black troops to the French for combat. He feared it would create expectations of equality. But the French were desperate for manpower, and under political pressure, Pershing relented—with a caveat. The French were told to treat the Black soldiers as equals, which they did. This created a striking contrast: Black soldiers experienced more respect and less racism from the French than from their own army.
Attached to the French 161st Division, the 369th finally got their chance to fight. They would go on to participate in the Champagne-Marne Defensive, the Aisne-Marne Offensive, the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, and the Second Battle of the Marne. For 191 days, they held the line—longer than any other American regiment. Of the roughly 3,000 men in the regiment, about 1,500 were killed or wounded. Yet not a single soldier was captured, and no ground was lost while they held the line.
The Battle of Henry Johnson
The action that made Johnson a legend occurred on the night of May 14–15, 1918. Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were on sentry duty when a German raiding party of about 20 men attacked. Roberts was hit and fell. Johnson’s rifle jammed after the first shot. With no working firearm, he used his bolo knife and fists, killing at least four Germans, wounding others, and driving the raiders off. He suffered 21 wounds but survived. The French awarded both men the Croix de Guerre, and Johnson earned the nickname ‘Black Death.’
Johnson became a national hero in the U.S. and France. But his story took a bitter turn. After the war, he returned to a segregated America, struggled with disabilities from his wounds, and died in 1929 at age 32, largely forgotten. It took decades of advocacy to correct the record. In 2015, President Barack Obama posthumously awarded Johnson the Medal of Honor. In 2021, the entire regiment received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Jazz and the Cultural Bridge
One of the most unexpected legacies of the 369th was musical. Lt. James Reese Europe, a famed jazz bandleader, led the regimental band. They became a sensation in France, performing for French and Allied troops and civilians. They are credited with introducing jazz and ragtime to European audiences, influencing French culture for decades. Europe’s band also boosted morale and served as a cultural bridge between Black Americans and the French.
The Hellfighters’ music was a reminder that their contribution wasn’t just military—it was cultural. They didn’t just fight for democracy; they brought a new art form to the world.
The Homecoming That Wasn’t
On February 17, 1919, the 369th marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City in a triumphant homecoming parade—the first African-American unit to be honored with such a parade. But the celebration was short-lived. Black veterans returned to a segregated, racist America. The ‘Red Summer’ of 1919 saw race riots and lynchings, including attacks on Black veterans in uniform. The Hellfighters had proven their courage on the battlefield, but they couldn’t escape the color line at home.
Their story was largely erased from mainstream history for decades. But in recent years, the Hellfighters have received the recognition they always deserved, through books, documentaries, and the posthumous honors for Henry Johnson and the regiment.
The Harlem Hellfighters were not just soldiers; they were pioneers who challenged the racist assumptions of their era with every act of bravery. Their 191 days in the trenches, their refusal to yield, and their cultural contributions in France stand as a powerful rebuke to the prejudice they faced. Their delayed honors—the Medal of Honor, the Congressional Gold Medal—are not just corrections of history; they are an acknowledgment that heroism knows no color. The Hellfighters’ legacy is a reminder that true courage is not measured by the color of one’s skin, but by the strength of one’s resolve.
Summary
- The 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was the first African-American regiment to see combat in WWI.
- They spent 191 days in continuous front-line combat, longer than any other American regiment, and never lost ground or had a soldier captured.
- Sgt. Henry Johnson’s heroic stand against a German raiding party earned him the Medal of Honor posthumously in 2015.
- The regiment was attached to the French Army because the American military refused to use Black combat units, and they experienced less racism from the French.
- Lt. James Reese Europe’s band introduced jazz to France, leaving a lasting cultural impact.
FAQ
Q: Why were they called the Harlem Hellfighters?
A: German soldiers reportedly called them ‘Höllenkämpfer’ (Hellfighters) because of their ferocity in combat and refusal to surrender or retreat. The name was later popularized by the American press.
Q: How many soldiers were in the regiment, and what were their casualties?
A: The regiment had about 3,000 men. Roughly 1,500 were killed or wounded in combat.
Q: Did the regiment receive any awards?
A: Yes. The regiment was awarded the French Croix de Guerre with silver star as a unit, and 171 individual members received the Croix de Guerre or Légion d’Honneur. In 2021, the regiment collectively received the Congressional Gold Medal.
Q: Why were they attached to the French Army?
A: The American Expeditionary Forces, under General John J. Pershing, refused to use Black combat units. However, due to political and logistical pressure, and because the French needed manpower, they were attached to the French 161st Division.
Q: What was the significance of the jazz band?
A: Lt. James Reese Europe’s band introduced jazz and ragtime to European audiences, influencing French culture and music for decades. It also boosted morale and served as a cultural bridge.
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