Episode 32: The Harlem Hellfighters, Part II (Jim Europe & The Black Death)

 

When the Harlem Hellfighters returned from the Great War the two most famous members of the acclaimed regiment were band leader First Lieutenant Jim Europe and Sergeant Henry Johnson who would receive the Medal of Honor for his heroics on the battlefield, but not for nearly a century.

He was already a world famous band leader before joining what would become the 369th Infantry Regiment so after he joined, his commander gave him a simple order, "put together the best damn band in the Army." Johnson did just that, recruiting from the concert halls of New York City for the best talent available, and when he couldn't find enough woodwind players, he went to Puerto Rico where he knew many could be found. After arriving in France, Lieutenant Europe and his band introduced the continent to jazz and the French quickly fell in love with its syncopated sounds. 

Sure he was a band leader, but his primary job in the infantry regiment was to command a machine gun company. He and his musicians were not shielded from time at the front and Jim served on multiple trips into No Mans Land where he routinely came under enemy fire. His first such foray inspired a hit song called On Patrol in No Mans Land which was sung by Nobel Sissle, Europe's assistant director.

While at the front, Europe was gasses and during his recovery - and following the armistice - he took his band to tour Europe where they entertain allied troops and war weary civilians, all while growing their acclaim and popularity.

 After the war, most of the 369th Band stayed with Europe and embarked on a 10-city US tour, with plans to return to Europe for an overseas tour, beginning in England where the Prince of Wales had personally invited them to play. But tragically, Jim would never make it back to Europe. During the intermission at a concert in Boston, Jim Europe was stabbed in the neck with a pin knife by a disgruntled drummer in the band who felt his director had disrespected him. Europe died at a hospital later that night, depriving the African American community one of its most vocal and effective leaders.

Europe received the first public funeral for a black man in New York City history and after the ceremonies ended in Gotham, James Reese Europe was interred at Arlington National Cemetery in Section 2, Grave 3576. His government issue headstone was replace in the 1940s with the marker there today.

Unlike Jim Europe, Henry Johnson was not a household name before shipping out to Europe. That all changed while he was standing watch near a bridge protected by the Hellfighters one a warm summer night. Johnson and his watch partner Needham Roberts heard an unknown number of Germans approaching their outpost. Hoping to take the offensive, Johnson fired a flare, but the Germans responded with several grenades. Roberts was severely injured and Johnson found himself fending off what evidence later showed was likely two to three dozen Germans.

Johnson killed four of his attackers, three of them with his bolo knife, prevented his comrade Roberts from being taken prisoner, and stopped the German raiders from surprising the Hellfighters along their section of the line. For his efforts, Johnson was shot four times and received 17 additional shrapnel wounds. After they realized they were facing an absolute man man the Germans withdrew. When reinforcements finally reached where all the commotion was coming from, they found Johnson on the verge of death, but he miraculously pulled through and was promoted to sergeant.

When the media got a hold of Johnson's story, they quickly dubbed him the Black Death, and soon every American knew the name of this African American hero. While his own government did not immediately recognize his actions, he become the first American to receive the Croix de Guerre from the French government and one of the few to receive it with a gold palm frond indicating exceptional valor. 

When the Hellfighters returned to New York, Johnson road in an open car along the parade route. A random admirer ran out and gave him the flowers in the picture and all along the route, fans of all colors and backgrounds called out his name and nickname as he road by. But after he was mustered out of the Army, a clerical error denied his disability claim. His injuries made it impossible for him to hold a steady job and he began to drink heavily. His alcoholism destroyed his marriage and he died in 1929 at age 32. 

Johnson was mostly forgotten and in time the location of his burial was lost - it was assumed that he was in a pauper's grave in Albany, NY. In the 1990s a New York historical society discovered the truth, he had been interred at Arlington National Cemetery, Section 25, Grave 64 under the name William Henry Johnson. In 1996, a military records review of several minority service members lead to Sergeant Johnson being awarded the Purple Heart and the Silver Star. An additional review saw the Silver Star upgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross, which in time was upgraded to the Medal of Honor. Henry Johnson has no known living relatives so in 2015, President Barak Obama posthumously presented Henry Johnson's Medal of Honor to Sergeant Major Louis Wilson of Johnson's own New York National Guard. The next day he was also inducted into the Pentagon's Hall of Honor.

In the years following the Great War, both Jim Europe and Henry Johnson and their contributions to the country, but fortunately he have been recognized by an entirely new generation of Americans. After his Medal of Honor was awarded, Albany, NY installed a belated monument to their now-honored adopted son - but better late than never.