FORT JOHNSON, La. — A U.S. Army base in western Louisiana was renamed Tuesday to honor Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black hero of World Conflict I who obtained the Medal of Honor practically a century later.
Fort Johnson had beforehand been named after a Accomplice commander, Leonidas Polk. The renaming is a part of the U.S. navy’s efforts to deal with historic racial injustice — work that included altering the names of 9 Army posts that commemorated Accomplice officers.
“Sgt. William Henry Johnson embodied the warrior spirit, and we’re deeply honored to bear his title,” Brig. Gen. David Garner, the commanding normal of the Joint Readiness Coaching Middle at Fort Johnson, stated in a submit on Twitter.
Whereas serving on the entrance traces of France in 1918, Johnson fought off a German evening raid close to the Argonne Forest, in keeping with the Nationwide Museum of the USA Army.
Johnson was wounded 21 instances whereas beating again the attacking forces. He additionally prevented a wounded Black comrade from being taken prisoner when, after operating out of grenades and ammunition, he killed two German troopers together with his knife.
“His frantic assaults broke the German morale and the enemy raiding social gathering retreated,” the Army museum’s biography of Johnson says.
He survived the warfare, and former President Theodore Roosevelt named him one of many 5 bravest Individuals to serve within the battle. He insisted he was no hero, and the Army biography quotes him as saying, “There wasn’t something so advantageous about it. Simply fought for my life. A rabbit would have carried out that.”
His courageous actions had been acknowledged practically a century later when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2015 “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity on the threat of his life above and past the decision of responsibility.”
Nonetheless, Johnson’s actions weren’t acknowledged by the Army, which denied him a incapacity allowance and didn’t award him a Purple Coronary heart. As a consequence of his accidents, he struggled after returning dwelling to Albany, New York, and died of a coronary heart situation in 1929. He was 32 years outdated.
The present means of renaming 9 Army posts marks the primary time bases shall be named after Black troopers and girls.
Earlier this month, Fort Bragg in North Carolina grew to become Fort Liberty, and Fort Benning in Georgia was renamed Fort Moore final month.
The unique naming course of concerned members of native communities, though Black residents had been unnoticed of the conversations. Bases had been named after troopers born or raised close by, regardless of how successfully they carried out their duties. Accomplice Gen. Braxton Bragg is broadly regarded amongst historians as a poor chief who didn’t have the respect of his troops.
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