US Army SGT Henry Johnson: Medal of Honor Recipient WWI On May 15, 1918, deep in the trenches of the Western Front, Private Henry Johnson of the famed Harlem Hellfighters faced a brutal surprise attack from a 12-man German raiding party. Severely wounded and outnumbered, Johnson fought back with unmatched bravery. With his rifle jammed and bullets flying, Johnson used grenades, his fists, and eventually a Bolo knife, engaging in hand-to-hand combat to protect a fellow soldier and repel the enemy