In This Week in Military History, we explore the service and enduring legacy of the United States Army’s 369th Infantry Regiment - the “Harlem Hellfighters”, a historic all-black unit awarded the Congressional Gold Medal on August 25th, 2021.
The journey of this unit began on the streets of New York City in 1913 as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment. With America’s entry into World War I in April, 1917, the regiment was sent to Camps Whitman, Wadsworth, and Mills for pre-deployment training, finally deploying to the Western Front in France in March of 1918. Over there, they were assigned to serve under the command of the French 4th Army due to the intense racial discrimination by white American soldiers.
Upon deployment to France, the group was re-designated as the 369th Infantry Regiment where they cemented their reputation as one of the finest units in US Army history. The 369th set the record as the longest-serving frontline American unit of the war enduring 191 days of continuous combat, and earning their famous nickname, the “Harlem Hellfighters” for their bravery and skill. They manned the forward trenches against the German Spring Offensive, then fought onward in May 1918, during the Second Battle of the Marne, and continued onto the Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensives. By the cessation of hostilities in November 1918 - the regiment could proudly say, along with their other accomplishments on the field of battle, that they were the first Allied Powers unit to reach the Rhine, and that they never retreated, nor had they ever had a single man taken prisoner.
Perhaps the most distinguished soldier of the 369th was Private Henry Johnson. When he and another soldier were ambushed and wounded by 12 German soldiers in the Argonne Forest, he mounted a retaliation that left the enemy broken and defeated. His actions earned him the French Croix de Guerre in 1918, and eventually the Medal of Honor in 2015.
The Harlem Hellfighters were part of the 350,000 African Americans that served in World War I, and their contributions helped win the war.
The unit lives on today as the 369th Sustainment Brigade - continuing a legacy of service and valor.
Join us next time for another segment of this week in military history, with the Pritzker Military Museum and Library.
Негізгі бет Harlem Hellfighters (369th Infantry Regiment) - Historic all-black unit
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