Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a soldier in World War I, was born on July 15, 1892, in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He enlisted in the army on June 5, 1917, and was assigned to the segregated 369th Infantry Regiment. His unit faced discrimination, leading to their assignment with the French army, which provided better opportunities. On May 15, 1918, Johnson heroically defended against a German raid, killing four and wounding up to twenty while himself sustaining twenty-one wounds. He rescued Pvt. Needham Roberts, and received the Croix de Guerre in 1918. He died on July 1, 1929, in Washington, D.C. Posthumously, he was awarded the Purple Heart (1996), Distinguished Service Cross (2002), and Medal of Honor (2015).