Army renames Louisiana base for Black World War I hero
Tuesday saw the renaming of a U.S. Army facility in western Louisiana base to Sgt. William Henry Johnson was a Black World War I hero who was awarded the Medal of Honour almost a century later. Previously, Leonidas Polk, a Confederate leader, was honored with the name Fort Johnson. Nine Army locations that honored Confederate officers had their names changed as part of the e U.S. military’s attempts to remedy historical racial injustice. The commanding general of the Joint Readiness Training Centre at Fort Johnson, Brig. Gen. David Garner, wrote on Twitter, “Sgt. William Henry Johnson embodied the warrior spirit, and we are deeply honored to bear his name.” German Night Raid According to the National Museum of the United States Army, Johnson repelled a German night raid close to the Argonne Forest while serving on the front lines of France in 1918. Johnson suffered 21 wounds while repelling the advancing attackers. In addition, he used his knife to kill two German so...