Harlem Hellfighters: 191 Days Under French Command, Henry Johnson's Stand

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!

The 369th Infantry Regiment began as the 15th New York National Guard, organized in 1916 after years of delay, and its men eagerly volunteered when the United States entered the war in 1917. Training at Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, South Carolina, put a Black New York regiment in the Jim Crow South: when a shop refused to sell James Reese Europe and Noble Sissle a newspaper, white soldiers of the 27th Division threatened a boycott, and Europe sent them away to avoid a riot. In France the US Army assigned the trained regiment to labor duties, then in April 1918 Pershing handed it to the French 16th Division.

Under French command, in American uniforms with French Lebel rifles and Adrian helmets, the regiment spent 191 days in the front line, the longest of any American unit, and never lost ground. In May 1918 Henry Johnson, a former rail porter from Albany, fought off a German raiding party with his rifle butt and bolo knife to save Needham Roberts, taking 21 wounds and becoming the first American awarded the Croix de Guerre. Europe's band introduced jazz to French and British audiences. Returning home, the men were barred from the USS Virginia, then marched up Fifth Avenue to Harlem on February 17, 1919.

US headquarters pressed the French into issuing a memo warning against Black American troops, which the French ignored.
German aircraft dropped English leaflets urging the men to desert their unequal country, and the effort backfired.
Nicknames included the Black Rattlers and the Men of Bronze before Hellfighters stuck.
The regiment suffered about 1,500 casualties, the highest of any US regiment in the war.
The 369th received the Congressional Gold Medal in August 2021.

Det här avsnittet är hämtat från ett öppet RSS-flöde och publiceras inte av Podme. Det kan innehålla reklam.

Avsnitt(16184)

The Art of Adult Friendship: Why Quality Matters More Than Quantity

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore how our understanding of friendship changes as we grow old...

9 Nov 18min

Summer Explained: The Science, History, and Traditions of the Warmest Season

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore summer, the season most closely associated with sunshine, ...

7 Nov 18min

Sir Patrick Stewart: From Shakespeare to Star Trek, the Life and Legacy of a Legend

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the extraordinary life of Sir Patrick Stewart, the acclaim...

7 Nov 49min

Larry David: The Genius of Social Awkwardness, Seinfeld, and Curb Your Enthusiasm

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the life and career of Larry David, the comedian, writer, ...

6 Nov 38min

Why Australian Shepherds Aren't From Australia

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the history of the Australian Shepherd, an intelligent, en...

5 Nov 45min

Labrador Retriever: From Newfoundland Fishing Dogs to Modern-Day Heroes

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore the remarkable history of the Labrador Retriever, one of t...

4 Nov 53min

Discovering Ireland: A Journey Through History, Culture, and the Wild Atlantic Way

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!In this episode of pplpod, we explore Ireland through the philosophy of slow travel: go slower, ...

3 Nov 48min

Willie Hutch: An Overnight I'll Be There Lyric and The Mack's Soundtrack

Got something to say to this podcast? Send a voicemail, and you might hear yourself on the next episode!William McKinley Hutchins was born in Los Angeles in December 1944 and raised in Dallas, where h...

2 Nov 21min