When Henry Johnson returned home after the end of the war, he was one of the most famous American soldiers of the time. Legendary for his actions on the battlefield, Johnson was the "Black Death" that managed to prevent roughly 20 Germans from overtaking the French line in the Argonne Forest, as told by Smithsonian Magazine. On duty with fellow soldier Needham Roberts, who quickly became wounded from a grenade, Johnson ended up single-handedly killing four enemies and injuring 10 to 20 more. When he was later praised for his performance on the battlefield, Johnson replied, "There wasn't anything so fine about it. Just fought for my life. A rabbit would have done that."
For a brief time, the famed Johnson went into public speaking, but according to Smithsonian Magazine, "after a fiery speech in St. Louis in March 1919, in which he accused white soldiers of racism and cowardice, Johnson disappeared from the public sphere." To make matters worse, despite suffering 21 wounds in the Argonne Forest, his records somehow showed no injuries, leaving Johnson ineligible for a Purple Heart and with no disability allowance. The forgotten hero would struggle for ten years before dying in his thirties in 1929.
Almost a century later, as his story resurfaced among historians and political leaders, Henry Johnson would be recognized posthumously for his bravery, receiving the Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, and the Medal of Honor.
