Harlem Hell Fighters
The Harlem Hellfighters were one of the most celebrated American fighting units of the First World War. Officially known as the 369th Infantry Regiment, the unit was composed mainly of African-American soldiers from New York, many of whom came from Harlem. They entered a segregated United States Army that frequently questioned their ability to fight, yet they returned from France as one of the most highly decorated American regiments of the war.
The regiment began as the 15th New York National Guard Regiment and was called into federal service after the United States entered the war in 1917. Racial prejudice was deeply rooted within the American military, and many senior officers were reluctant to place black soldiers in front-line positions. After arriving in France, the men were initially assigned labouring duties, including unloading ships and moving supplies. Their determination to fight eventually resulted in the regiment being transferred to the French Army, which urgently needed reinforcements.
The soldiers were issued French helmets, rifles and equipment and served under French command as part of the 161st Division. Unlike the segregated American forces, the French troops generally welcomed them as fellow soldiers. The regiment entered the trenches in April 1918 and spent 191 days in front-line areas, reportedly longer than any other American infantry regiment during the conflict.
Their famous nickname is generally believed to have come from the Germans, who supposedly called them “Hellfighters” because of their ferocity and refusal to surrender ground. However, no surviving German wartime document has conclusively confirmed this story, and the name may have been popularised by American newspapers. The French called the soldiers the “Men of Bronze,” while the regiment proudly adopted the rattlesnake emblem and the motto “Don’t Tread on Me.”
Among its most famous soldiers were Private Henry Johnson and Private Needham Roberts. During the night of 14 May 1918, their isolated position was attacked by a German raiding party. Although wounded and greatly outnumbered, Johnson fought back with grenades, his rifle and finally a bolo knife. He killed and wounded several attackers and prevented Roberts from being carried away. The French awarded both men the Croix de Guerre, making them among the first American soldiers to receive the decoration during the war. Johnson’s extraordinary courage was not fully recognised by his own country until long after his death, and he was finally awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015.
The 369th fought in the Champagne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne and other major operations during the closing months of the war. During the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, it captured important ground near Séchault but suffered heavy casualties. By the end of its service, approximately 170 members of the regiment had received the French Croix de Guerre, while the unit itself was awarded the Croix de Guerre with Palm for its collective bravery.
The regiment was also famous for its military band, led by Lieutenant James Reese Europe. Its musicians introduced French audiences to the energetic sounds of ragtime and early jazz, performing in towns, hospitals and military camps. Their music became a remarkable form of American cultural influence and helped spread jazz throughout France and the rest of Europe.
When the Harlem Hellfighters returned to New York in February 1919, enormous crowds watched them parade up Fifth Avenue and through Harlem. The soldiers were welcomed as heroes by their communities, but they returned to a country where racial segregation, discrimination and violence remained part of everyday life. Their courage overseas challenged the false belief that African-American troops were unsuitable for combat and strengthened the growing campaign for equal rights at home.
The 369th Infantry Regiment continued to serve after the First World War and its lineage survives in the New York Army National Guard. The Harlem Hellfighters earned their famous name through courage, endurance and determination, fighting not only against the German Army but also against the prejudice of the nation they served. Their story remains one of the most powerful examples of loyalty and bravery in American military history.
