The bravery of African-American soldiers during World War I has been largely overlooked. The U.S. military didn't have much faith in the combat abilities of black Americans during the conflict. Two hundred thousand black men were stationed in France during the Great War but the majority of them were assigned to support roles like building bridges and driving supply vehicles. There was one unit from New York however which went on to serve for 191 consecutive days before the war ended, and events proved that they were neither cowards nor incapable of engaging the enemy on the front lines.
Arrival in France
The 369th Infantry Regiment actually started as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment. Commanded by Col. William Hayward it was formally drafted into federal service in 1917 and the group left for Europe in December of the following year. On January 1, 1918 they landed on the French coast but they didn't see action right away, because nobody knew what to do with them. In fact, these newly arrived Americans didn't get their first taste of combat until several months later.
Fighting in the Argonne
The men of the 369th were assigned to fight with the 161st division of the French Army. The French were desperate for more men; thousands of their own troops had either been killed in combat or had deserted and since they already had experience fighting with personnel from Senegal and Morocco, they welcomed the arrival of the African-American unit. From July 15-18, 1918 they fought the Germans in Champagne and occupied the lines at Calvaire and Beausejour. They proved themselves to be tough soldiers once again in the Meuse-Argonne offensive. On September 29th, after two days of intense combat, they captured the town of Séchault. They also took part in the battles at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood.
Henry Johnson
A native of Albany, New York, this young soldier was the first American to receive the Croix de Guerre (War Cross) after single-handedly killing four Germans while on sentry duty. While stationed at a listening post in the Montplaisir sector of the Argonne forest, a raiding party attacked Johnson and his partner, Needham Roberts. When he ran out of bullets, Johnson used the butt of his rifle and a smaller bolo knife to keep the Germans at bay. He plunged his weapon into the skull of one man and in the stomach of the other when Roberts, who was seriously hurt, was being dragged away to the enemy lines. Both men were promoted to sergeant, and soon made headlines back in the U.S. Needham Roberts, who came from Trenton, New Jersey, also received the War Cross from the French government.
The Red Summer of 1919
The surviving members of the 369th, Johnson and Roberts among them, were back in New York in early 1919. 171 individual members received medals while in Europe but they soon discovered their service in the war didn't mean much to the U.S. government, because they got no recognition whatsoever. Black veterans were still on the receiving end of extreme hatred from white citizens. Thousands of African-Americans had migrated from southern states to northern areas including Chicago and Washington D.C. to look for better employment opportunities, and in doing so hoped they would be accepted as equals. Throughout the summer and early fall, homes and shops owned by black families were destroyed by angry mobs. No city, large or small, was spared from violence. Philadelphia, Omaha, Syracuse and Knoxville also experienced racial upheaval.
Sadly, Henry Johnson faded into obscurity and turned into an alcoholic. He died penniless in 1929. Needham Roberts never recovered from his experiences in France and passed away in a mental asylum in 1949.
Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and Distinguished Service Cross in 1996 and 2003, respectively. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery and his comrade Needham Roberts rests in Fairmount Cemetery in Newark, New Jersey.
Sources for this article:
1. archives.gov
2. arlingtoncemetery.net
3. militaryhistoryonline.com (Fighting for Respect: African-Americans Soldiers in WW I by Jami Bryan)
