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How Is Henry Johnson A Hero

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When the United States of America joined World War 1 in 1917 the rst of the world had been at war for three years. The U.S. deployed an estimated 4,355,000 troops to around the world. Around 204,004 of them returned home injured. Henry Johnson was one of those soldiers. Henry Johnson was born some time during 1891 in Salem, North Carolina. Not much is known about his early life except that he moved to Albany, New York in his teens. While in Albany he worked many jobs including chauffeur, soda mixer, laborer in a coal yard, and a redcap porter at Albany's Union Station. He eventually married a woman named Edna. Henry and Edna had three kids together. When America joined the war he joined the National Guard. When Henry enlisted he was only 5-foot-4 and 130 pounds. He was put into the 396th Infantry …show more content…

He and Needham were taken to a French hospital and treated for their wounds. Henry had 21 wound in his head, foot, back, leg, arm and torso. They were mostly caused by guns, knives and bayonets. Doctors inserted a steel plate into his left foot. His injuries prevented him from doing hard labor. Henry was nicknamed “ The Black Death.” The French awarded him with the Croix De Guerre with a golden palm in 1918. This is France's highest honor. He was promoted to sergeant. Once he got home in February of 1919 there was in a parade celebrating the Harlem Hellfighters. He stood in the lead car during the parade. The crowd shouted “oh you Black Death.”Thousands of people lined up to see the nearly 3,000 men ride up 5th Avenue. President Theodore Roosevelt said Johnson one of the “five bravest Americans” to serve in World War I. He had a hard time finding work due to his injuries. His wife and children soon left him. He became an alcoholic and died in 1929. His family thought he was buried at a grave in Albany. His relatives finally found out that he was buried in Arlington National Cemetery and that there was a giant

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