Henry Johnson

Military awards The French government awarded Johnson the Croix de guerre with a special citation and a golden palm. John Howe, a Vietnam War veteran who had campaigned tirelessly for recognition for Johnson, and U.S. Army Major General Nathaniel James, President of the 369th Veterans' Association, were present at the ceremony in Albany. The award was received by Herman A. Johnson, one of the Tuskegee Airmen of WWII, on behalf of Henry Johnson, then believed to be his father; the mistake was not clarified until 2015, a decade after the younger Johnson's death, as part of the further research done leading up to the senior Johnson's Medal of Honor.

Medal of Honor Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson of the New York Army National Guard accepts the Medal of Honor on behalf of Johnson. On May 14, 2015, the White House announced that Johnson would receive the Medal of Honor posthumously, presented by President Barack Obama. In the ceremony, held on 2 June 2015, Johnson's medal was received on his behalf by Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson of the New York National Guard. Obama said, "The least we can do is to say, 'We know who you are. We know what you did for us. We are forever grateful.'"

The official citation reads:

Later life and death

Veterans Affairs records show that a "permanent and total disability" rating was granted to Johnson on September 16, 1927, as a result of his tuberculosis infection. Additionally, Johnson suffered approximately 21 different combat injuries, rendering him unable to return to his previous job as a porter. Also, Veterans Affairs records refer to Johnson receiving monthly compensation and regular visits by Veterans Affairs medical personnel until his death.

Johnson died on July 1, 1929, in Washington, D.C., of myocarditis. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on July 6, 1929.

Legacy In 1919, co-founder of the American Legion Theodore Roosevelt Jr., son of former United States President Theodore Roosevelt, referred to Johnson as one of the "five bravest Americans" to have served in World War I.

As of December 3, 2014, the national defense bill included a provision, added by Senator Chuck Schumer, to award Johnson the Medal of Honor.

For many years, it was thought that Herman Archibald Johnson was the son of Henry Johnson. In tracking Henry Johnson's genealogy prior to his being awarded the Medal of Honor, however, it was discovered that there was no family connection. The program currently enrolls over 100 cadets.

In 2017, Albany-area PBS station WMHT aired a documentary about Henry Johnson entitled Henry Johnson: A Tale of Courage.

Johnson's story is recounted in the song Don't Tread on Me (Harlem Hellfighters) by the Ukrainian death metal band 1914 on their album Where Fear and Weapons Meet, released October 22, 2021.

In June 2023, Fort Polk in Louisiana, a U.S. Army base, was renamed for Johnson, though this renaming was reverted in June 2025.

In 2025, Macho Goat Productions, finished a featured film entitled “The Battle of Henry Johnson”. The movie represents the battle in real time, as well as, moments of his life with flashbacks.