#needhamroberts

1) Henry Johnson

Photo:  369th Infantry ("Harlem Hellfighters"), who single-handedly fought off a German raiding party to save his comrade, Private Needham Roberts, 1918., Private Needham Roberts.

President Theodore Roosevelt called Henry Johnson one of the “five bravest Americans” to serve in WWI.

In 1917 Johnson enlisted in the 15th New York National Guard Regiment, later renamed the 369th Infantry Regiment known as the Harlem Hellfighters. It was one of the few units that shipped black soldiers to France during the war.

Although US troops mainly used black soldiers for menial labor jobs because of their perceived inferiority,  the French did not have the same reservations. The 369th Infantry was sent to help back up the French Fourth Army and it was during this time that Johnson earned his nickname “Black Death.” During a nighttime battle, Johnson kept German soldiers from advancing to the French line. His efforts killed four enemy soldiers and he was awarded the French Croix de Guerre, France’s highest military honor. He was the first American to receive this honor and his medal included the Gold Palm for extraordinary valor.

Johnson was also posthumously a Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross by the United States military.

2) Needham Roberts

Photo: Needham Roberts, 369th U.S. Infantry, formerly 15th N.Y.N.G., decorated with the Croix de Guerre, with palm, and wearing two service stripes and two wound stripes.                          

Needham Roberts also served as a World War 1 U.S. Army soldier in the 369th Infantry also known as the Harlem Hellfighters. Roberts left his job as a drugstore clerk to serve in the Army in 1917. 

Only 15 or 16 at the time, Roberts lied about his age to enlist. Once overseas, Roberts and his regiment served under the French army. While on guard at the Argonne Forest on May 14, 1918, he and Henry Johnson fended off a 24 solider German raiding party. Successful, their efforts defended the French line. 

Roberts, like Johnson, was awarded France’s Croix de Guerre medal for his bravery, and became one the first African Americans to receive the honor. Also like Johnson, Roberts was awarded the Purple Heart years after his death.

3) James Reese Europe 

Photo: portrait of James Reese Europe, 1919.

James Reese Europe’s unique compositions helped develop jazz in both France and the United States. An acclaimed musician, Europe conducted for Bert Williams’ musical “Mr. Load of Coal.”

In 1910, Europe formed the Clef Club, an association for black musicians. On May 2, 1912, the Clef Club Symphony Orchestra put on "A Concert of Negro Music.” The goal of the concert was to showcase African American musical style to a widespread audience.

When the United States entered World War I, Europe joined and was commissioned a lieutenant in the 15th Regiment under Colonel Hayward. During his tour, he introduced the French to his musical style and was revered for his theatrical compositions.

Following the war, Europe toured the United States with his band of Harlem Hellfighters. Unfortunately, he was stabbed by a jealous colleague before his second show, but his work remains important as a precursor to the age of jazz.

Listen to a recording of Europe’s work here: s.si.edu/1aRPT82

4) Adah Belle Samuels Thoms

Adah Belle Samuels Thoms graduated from the Lincoln School for Nursing in New York in 1905 and began working at Lincoln Hospital full-time as the head nurse on the surgical ward. In 1906, she was named assistant superintendent of nurses.  Though she was in effect the acting director until her retirement in 1924, Thomas was not given the title because of her race.  

In response to the racism faced by nurses of color, Thomas helped organize the National Association for Colored Graduate Nurses and served as the organization’s president from 1916 to 1923.  During WWI, Thoms also successfully campaigned to have black nurses admitted into the U.S. Army Nurse Corps.  

In 1929, Thomas published Pathfinders: A History of the Progress of Colored Graduate Nurses, the first book to chronicle the experiences of black nurses in America. In 1976, Thoms was inducted into the American Nurses Association Hall of Fame.

5) Lt. Charles Young

Photo: Officers of the "Buffalos", 367th Infantry, 77th Division in France,  U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.

Lt. Charles Young was born to enslaved parents in 1864. He would become the highest ranking African American commanding officer in the United States Army at the start of WWI.

Young started his military career as the third black graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and went on to have a decorated military career. He commanded African American troops, nicknamed Buffalo Soldiers by the American Indians for their dark curly hair that resembled a Buffalo's coat. His soldiers helped administer several national parks before the National Park Service was created in 1916. They built roads, created trails, fought fires, and managed tourists. He went on to become the first African American to serve as a military attaché.

On the eve of WWI, Young was dealt a devastating blow when he was medically retired for nephritis. Although he couldn't participate in the Great War, Young was promoted to Colonel before his retirement in recognition for his achievements. He would continue to fight for equal treatment for black soldiers until his death.

In 2013, President Barack Obama designated Young's home as the Charles Young Buffalo Soldiers National Monument.