Gus Stuckey plays the role of Henry Johnson in a performance of “Henry Johnson: Ballad of a Forgotten Hero” at Howard L. Goff Middle School.
Howard L. Goff Middle School was a stop on the Capital Repertory Theatre’s On-The-Go! tour of “Henry Johnson: Ballad of a Forgotten Hero” on February 9. The 45-minute production was offered to students in the school gym and supplemented what they had been learning about World War I in Social Studies class.
Students learned about Henry Johnson, the all-Black New York National Guard 369th Infantry Regiment, known as the Harlem Hellfighters, and how Johnson was denied recognition by the United States for his bravery on the battlefield until long after his death. On May 15, 1918, Johnson had singlehandedly defended a bridge in France from attacking German soldiers while on sentry duty. He also rescued his friend Private Needham Roberts who had been taken prisoner.
Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart in 1996, the Distinguished Service Cross in 2002 and the Medal of Honor in 2015.