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Keith Henley portrays Sgt. Henry Johnson, WWI hero, Nov. 14 at RFL
November 14, 2018 @ 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Riverton Free Library and the Historical Society of Riverton present actor and historian Keith Henley who portrays World War I hero Sgt. Henry “Black Death” Johnson who served in the 369th Infantry Regiment, also known as the Harlem Hellfighters.
During a battle in the Argonne Forest with German soldiers, Feb. 12, 1919, he fought off the raiding party in hand-to-hand combat, killing multiple German soldiers and rescuing a fellow soldier while suffering 21 combat wounds. For this, France awarded him its highest award for valor, the French Croix de Guerre avec Palme.
Back home, he was denied a Purple Heart and a disability allowance. He died, destitute, in 1929 at age 32. Decades later he posthumously received the Purple Heart, Distinguished Service Cross, and the Congressional Medal of Honor.
WHEN: Nov. 14, 2018 at 7pm
WHERE: Riverton Free Library
Free admission – Seating is limited – Light refreshments served
See more info about Sgt. Johnson and the Harlem Hellfighters here. The video trailer below is for a 2017 PBS documentary