When one hears of the Black Death, one often refers to the nomenclature associated with the plague that ripped the guts out of 50 to 200 million people during the 14th century. The most recent occurrence however, resurfaced during WWI, when Henry Johnson earned the nickname while single-handedly stalling a German assault on his position equipped with a big-ass Bolo knife, his face-caving fists, and his be all end all mentality to Sam Fisher every last one of the 20+ invading German soldiers of the raiding party.

Johnson served as a member of the elite Harlem Hellfighters, a legendary all-black unit known for spending the most time in combat among all units in WWI. Standing on his tippy-toes at 5-foot-4 and weighing all but a 130 pounds, he enlisted into the 369th Infantry Regiment in 1917. At the time when racial tensions were raging in the U.S., the unit received little to no training and were sent aboard ships to France to perform menial tasks like unloading cargo, stacking sandbags, playing duck-duck-goose, and essentially taking up space. The U.S. military didn’t really value them, which many years later they would receive the full brunt of shame they deserved.

The French, however, needed bodies and fast. They didn’t care about race like the brain dead American culture of the time. They quickly saw their effectiveness and began calling them the “Men of Bronze” and the “Black Rattlers” after they gave them proper equipment, enough lingo to understand basic commands, and the knowledge to kill anything in sight using nothing short of a pair of pool noodles.

A year later, the Hellfighters were sent to the frontline with the French manning positions in foxholes along the western edge of Argonne Forest. Johnson and Needham Roberts hunkered down in their sentry position ahead of the rest of the forces during the graveyard shift (midnight to 4am). Shortly thereafter, they heard cracks and snaps of sniper fire speeding passed their heads. Johnson grabbed a nearby crate with a dozen hand grenades to prepare for an attack.

At around 2am, Johnson heard “snippin'” and “clipping'” of wirecutters on their perimeter and told Roberts to haul ass back to camp and get some reinforcements. Johnson grabbed a ‘nade from the crate and threw a dime that bounced a few feet from the fence. He quickly hit the deck as machine gun fire ripped through his position and grenades exploded sending shrapnel all around him. Realizing Johnson was up against an enormous force, Roberts sprinted back to his battle buddy to help, but before he could get to cover, a grenade peppered his arm and hip critically wounding him.

Roberts being hard as nails found the strength to crawl close enough to Johnson and pass him additional hand grenades despite his arm being severed in the blast. As Germans advanced from multiple directions, Johnson shouldered his rifle and popped up out of cover like a whack-a-mole expelling magazine after magazine dropping Germans maneuvering on his position.

Johnson took a bullet to the top of the head, a bullet to the teeth, and somehow managed to stay in the fight. As Germans approached within shit-talking range, he switched around his empty rifle and began swinging like he was fucking Barry Bonds calling his shot. He took another round through the side and then again in the hand but kept up the intensity in a balls out hand to hand, kill or be killed deathmatch outnumbered 4:1.

Overwhelmed by the determined enemy who jumped down into his position, Johnson received a blow to the back of his head knocking him out. Appearing in and out of consciousness during the loud and chaotic scene, Johnson saw Roberts being dragged by the Germans trying to take him prisoner. Armed with only a bolo knife, Johnson came back from the dead, and challenged the soldiers to a good old fashioned sword fight.

After getting revived Johnson would say later, “Each slash meant something, believe me,” as he Bruce Lee’d his way towards Roberts, “I wasn’t doing exercises, let me tell you.”. He slashed the intestines out of one German’s body and head-butted a Lieutenant to death all while being shot in the arm by a terrified soldier who was knocked to the ground in the commotion. Johnson managed to drag Roberts to cover as French and American forces were coming from the rear wondering what the hell was going on.

When they arrived, Johnson passed out due to blood loss and exhaustion from kicking so much ass. He was taken to a field hospital for treatment. He suffered a total of 21 wounds, killed four Germans, and wounded an additional 15 in the battle.

As the dust settled, his men started calling him “Black Death”, though like any true hero he deflected his accomplishments by saying, “There wasn’t anything so fine about it”, he downplayed. “Just fought for my life, a rabbit would’ve done that”. Only heroes say shit like that. Really Black Death? You think a rabbit would’ve been chuckin’ ‘nades in the name of Freedom? Getting shot, stabbed, and blown up multiple times and then going all Liam Neeson from Taken on a bunch of soldiers trying to take his friend? Zero chance that rabbit would’ve done that in my honest opinion.

When the Hellfighters returned for a celebratory ceremony, the entire French Army in Champagne stood by as they presented Black Death and Roberts with their military’s highest honor: the French Croix de Guerre. Black Death received the Gold Palm with his award for extraordinary valor. They became the first two American Privates to receive the award in history.

As they returned home to Harlem, they were welcomed by a parade of their own where President Theodore Roosevelt commented calling Johnson, one of the “five bravest Americans” to serve in the war. Unfortunately, only a few years later in 1929, Johnson passed away and was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.

Due to racism that immediately followed the war, the men were not properly hailed as heroes. But nearly half a century later, In 1996 President Bill Clinton along with Congress approved both Johnson and Roberts to receive the Purple Heart. In 2001 the U.S. Army awarded Johnson with the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military distinction. President Obama stated while awarding Johnson the Medal of Honor, the nation’s highest military award for valor in 2015, “It’s never too late to say Thank You”.

To this day, the Harlem Hellfighters hold one of the finest combat records in U.S. military history.

For more on the Harlem Hellfighters, read about another member who helped spread the ‘Jazz Germ’ throughout Europe: 20th Century Time Machine – How A Harlem Hellfighter Spread The Jazz Germ Throughout Europe After WWI

Links: Smithsonian Magazine / Task and Purpose / All That Is Interesting / Wikipedia