Fort Polk renamed in honor of Black WWI hero Sgt. Henry Johnson.
Fort Johnson, a U.S. Army base in Louisiana, has been renamed after Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black hero of World War I who received the Medal of Honor nearly a century later. The renaming is part of the U.S. military’s efforts to address historic racial injustice. Johnson fought off a German night raid near the Argonne Forest, was wounded 21 times, and prevented a wounded Black comrade from being taken prisoner. His brave actions were recognized nearly a century later when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2015.
