pagesofhistory Selfless Courage

Two American soldiers who fought and showed extraordinary leadership during World War I are recognized posthumously with the Medal of Honor at a June ceremony.

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wo American soldiers — whose heroism during World War I had not yet been fully recognized —

were awarded posthumous Medals of Honor during a June 2 ceremony at the White House. Army Sgt. Henry Johnson, who served with the all-black unit that would become the 369th Infantry Regiment Harlem Hell- fighters, was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions May 15, 1918. Johnson and Pvt. Needham Roberts were

attacked by Germans at an isolated observa- tion post near Sainte-Menehould, France. Both men were wounded, but Johnson managed to kill one German soldier and wound two others before his rifle jammed. As the men were about to be captured, Johnson moved from his entrenched posi- tion to engage the German soldiers, using his rifle as a club and slashing at his attack- ers with his bolo knife. His actions sent the remaining Germans fleeing and saved him and Roberts from being taken prisoner. The second recipient was Army Sgt.

William Shemin, a Jewish American who, beginning Aug. 7, 1918, exposed himself to enemy fire numerous times to rescue wounded soldiers during the Aisne-Marne Offensive. After his officers and senior NCOs were killed, Shemin, who was only 19, took command of his platoon until he was shot in the head. Shemin recovered from his injuries and was discharged in August 1919. “Discrimination should never play a role when our country pays trib-

PHOTOS: U.S. ARMY

ute to extraordinary acts of courage and selfless sacrifice,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), who helped get the medal for Shemin, in a statement.

Hermione Plies the Atlantic Once More pains- takingly accurate

re-creation of Hermione— the French frig- ate that in 1780 brought the Marquis de Lafayette to the aid of American colonists fighting the British — traversed in April a similar route from Port- des-Barques, France, to Yorktown, Va. It took 17 years and $27 million to build

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the Hermione re-creation, which was crafted using the same kinds of materials and methods as the original. Sailmakers, for example, sewed eyelets by hand. As a young military officer, Lafayette persuaded King Louis XVI to provide ad- ditional military and financial support to the struggling American colonists. His arrival was a tremendous boon to Gen. George Washington.

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— Don Vaughan, a North Carolina-based free- lance writer, authors this monthly column.

AUGUST 2015 MILITARY OFFICER 75

Army Sgts. Henry Johnson (left) and William Shemin were recognized in June for their courageous ac- tions in battle.

History Lesson On Aug. 9, 1945, the U.S. dropped a second atomic bomb over Japan. By Aug. 15, Japan announced its surrender, and Sept. 2 its leaders signed the Japanese Document of Surrender.