Johnson’s story became legendary one night when while on patrol, a German battalion raided his camp, leaving Johnson with more than 20 gunshot wounds. Despite his injuries, Johnson almost single-handedly fought off his attackers armed only with a rifle and a bolo knife, using the rifle as a club once it had run out of bullets. All told, Johnson left four Germans dead and injured at least 20 others, who retreated. For his heroics, Johnson was awarded one of the French government’s highest honors, the Croix de Guerre. The still heavily segregated U.S., however, gave Johnson only a chauffeured car in New York’s victory parade in 1919—no awards or military benefits. Eleven years later, Johnson died destitute, estranged from his family and still unrecognized for his service. Johnson’s legacy would continue to go unmentioned in American history for several decades more. It wasn’t until 1996 that President Clinton awarded Johnson a posthumous Purple Heart. foxnews/politics/2014/11/19/congressmen-push-to-award-harlem-hellfighter-posthumous-medal-honor/
Posted on: Wed, 26 Nov 2014 22:05:36 +0000