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finding all this information … it may not be
enough,” Tara Johnson, Johnson’s grand-
daughter, told Veterans of Foreign Wars
radio on April 30. “That’s the reality so we
just have to wait and see how that will
unfold.”
The bid comes after a renewed campaign
to honor Johnson, passed over for decades
because he was Black. During WWI,
African Americans had to fight for the right
to serve their country, as well as fight for it.
As a result the Harlem Hellfighters, and
other Black regiments, fought under French
command. Sgt. Johnson was the first
American soldier to be awarded France’s
highest military honor, the Croix de Guerre
with Gold Palm.
“I asked them, ‘Why can’t you just use the
citation that the French gave him’,” Herman
Johnson told the Skanner news. “But they
told me that the records were lost in a fire,
and to go forward we need additional infor-
mation. I think the government should have
done more. I told them I’m not going to
give up, but after not hearing from anyone
you just start to lose hope. This should be
more than enough proof.”
served with the 369th regiment, better
known as the Harlem Hellfighters.
an Impartial account confirms
Story
The new evidence adds weight to the offi-
cial regimental account, written by Major
Arthur W. Little. Schumer’s staff recently
unearthed a letter to Johnson’s wife from
his commanding officer Col. William
Hayward, which was read into the
Congressional Record in 1918; a field
memo from Gen. John Pershing; and a first-
person account by Johnson’s comrade,
Roberts.
NYU professor Jeff Sammons Ph.D.
made an additional exciting discovery in
the National Archives: an account by a vis-
iting officer, Lt. Col. M. A. W. Shockley,
who is considered an impartial observer.
Shockley’s account confirms important
details about the attack. He records that the
position was a difficult one, that the two
men were alone and unsupported, and that
they were attacked by a party of about 20
enemy soldiers.
A French officer told Shockley that he
would, “deduce the number as about twenty
men including a ‘Sous officer,’ on account
of the fact that the wire cutters of the type
found are distributed in the proportion of
one to each four men.”
The number of casualties was hard to con-
firm. Shockley’s estimate of two casualties
was “based upon the fact that one of the
caps found contained considerable blood, a
shorn lock of European hair, and a knife cut,
and the evidence of the grenade explosion,
the blood, clothing and gauze fragments.”
Shockley also lists equipment left behind
by the raiding party, presumably because
when they retreated they were carrying fall-
en soldiers.
“We believe these new original docu-
ments along with a mountain of supporting
documents provide the written chain of
command endorsements and eyewitness
testimonies required to overcome the previ-
ously stated ‘technical’ grounds and now
overwhelmingly meets the Army’s stan-
dards to award the Medal of Honor,” said
Wyden’s office this week.
If Sec. McHugh approves the honor, he
will forward the request to the Secretary of
Defense. If Sec. Robert Gates approves it
(or Sec. Leon Panetta if Gates leaves before
it reaches him), the request will move on to
the Joint Chiefs of Staff and then to
Congress.
“We’re still hesitant because even after
Recognition came late
The army used Sgt. Johnson’s image to
recruit African Americans and promote war
bonds. A highway in Johnson’s hometown,
Albany, NY, was named after
him, and his statue was
enshrined at the state Capitol.
America finally recognized
Johnson’s heroism with a pur-
ple heart in 1996. In 2002,
campaigners asked that that
Sgt. Johnson be awarded the
Medal of Honor.
However, the Army refused
on ‘technical grounds,’ saying
that the required support-
ing evidence was missing.
Instead, in 2003 President
George Bush presented
Johnson’s son, Tuskegee
airman Herman Johnson, with the
Distinguished Service Cross.
Now Johnson’s grandchildren, Tara
Johnson and Herman Johnson keep up
the fight supported by campaigners
including: Vietnam veteran John Howe,
former US Reps. Mickey Leland and Joe
DioGuardi, and more recently Portland
City Commissioner Nick Fish, Sen. Ron
Wyden and Sen. Charles Schumer.
Schumer’s staff quickly discovered
the three new significant proofs of
Johnson’s heroism.
Gen. Pershing described the events in
his field memo:
“Attention drawn to fact that the 2 col-
ored sentries first attacked continued
fighting after receiving wounds, and
despite of use of grenades by superior
force, and should be given credit for pre-
venting by their bravery the taking pris-
oner of our men. Three of our men
wounded, of whom two by grenades but
all are recovering…”
Col. Hayward’s account, read into the
Congressional Record, said, "Henry laid
about him right and left with his heavy
knife, and Roberts, released from the grasp
of the scoundrels, began again throwing
hand grenades and exploding them in their
midst... The Germans, doubtless thinking it
was a host instead of two brave colored
boys fighting like tigers at bay, picked up
their dead and wounded and slunk away."
President Recently Recognized two
korean war Heroes
Precedents do exist for the Medal of
Honor to be assigned long after the fact. On
May 2, President Barack Obama awarded
‘The Germans, doubtless
thinking it was a host instead of
two brave colored boys
fighting like tigers at bay,
picked up their dead and
wounded and slunk away ...’
America’s highest honor to Pvt. Henry
Svehla and Pvt. Anthony Kaho’ohanohano.
These two young soldiers fought and died
heroes 60 years ago during the Korean War.
Svehla, with the 7th Infantry, led a charge
into enemy fire, throwing grenades at
enemy bunkers, continuing even when
wounded. When a grenade landed in the
midst of his men, instead of running, Svelha
jumped on the grenade, saving others’ lives
by sacrificing his own. Kaho’ohanohano, a
native Hawaiian, stayed behind alone to
confront a superior force, all the time laying
down fire cover to allow his comrades to
retreat to safety.
Awarding the medal to Kaho’ohanohano
‘s family, President Obama thanked the
campaigners.
“After his death, Tony was awarded the
Army’s second highest award for valor --
the Distinguished Service Cross,” Obama
said. “But his family felt he deserved more.
And so did Senator -- and World War II vet
-- Danny Akaka.”
The Medal of Honor citation says the
award is for, “conspicuous gallantry and
intrepidity at the risk of his life above and
beyond the call of duty.”
The Johnson family,
Sens. Schumer and
Wyden and Portland
Caldwell’s, Hennessey, Goetsch
Commissioner
Fish
& McGee Funeral Home
believe that was exactly
what
Sgt.
Henry
Von D. Bailey
Lincoln Johnson dis-
Funeral Director
played that long ago
20 NE 14th Avenue
night
in
Northern
France.
Portland, OR 97232
503-232-4111
Fax 503-231-1586
von.bailey@sci-us.com
Page 8 The Portland Skanner