97 years later, soldiers to receive Medal of Honor (links)
By The Oregonian/OregonLive
Henry Johnson
This statue of Henry Johnson, a World War I hero in an all-black outfit, the 369th Infantry Regiment, or Harlem Hellfighters, resides in the Arbor Hill neighborhood of Albany, N.Y.
(The Associated Press/Mike Groll)
Portland has a connection to today's Medal of Honor ceremony. Henry Lincoln Johnson will be bestowed with the honor posthumously, as will Army Sgt. William Shemin, who repeatedly faced danger to retrieve wounded soldiers.
Johnson's story is known to many Oregonians because of a series of newspaper stories about him published by The Skanner and because of the soldier's personal connection toPortland Commissioner Nick Fish.
Read more about the two recipients:
NBC News says: Johnson was once called "Black Death," a soldier from the all-black "Harlem Hellfighters" unit who fought off two dozen Germans with a gun and then a knife during World War I.
The New York Times tells of the toll the war took on Johnson: Private Johnson died about a decade later, a victim of 21 combat-related injuries.
The Washington Post recounts: Johnson concussed one German with the butt stock of his rifle, and then sunk a heavy bolo knife he was carrying into another's head, killing him. He stabbed to death at least one more attacker who was beating Roberts, allowing the Americans to toss hand grenades that prompted the rest of the Germans to flee.
Check OregonLive later today for updates from the White House ceremony.
-- The Oregonian/OregonLive