In a ceremony marked by emotion, remembrance, and overdue recognition, the United States Congress awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to the 369th Infantry Regiment—better known as the Harlem Hellfighters—on September 3, 2025. The event, held in the sunlit Emancipation Hall of the U.S. Capitol, drew together lawmakers, military leaders, descendants, and historians to honor a regiment whose bravery on the battlefields of World War I has become legendary, but whose sacrifices went unacknowledged by their own nation for more than a century.
Formed in 1913 as the 15th New York National Guard, the Harlem Hellfighters were the first Black National Guard unit in America. Their story, as reported by AFRO, began in Harlem but soon came to include African Americans from across the country, united by a shared desire to serve despite the harsh reality of segregation and discrimination. When the United States entered the First World War in 1917, the unit was redesignated as the 369th Infantry Regiment. Yet, even as they donned the uniform of their country, the men were denied combat duty by the American Army, which relegated Black soldiers to manual labor and support roles. Only the urgent need for reinforcements by the French Army gave them the chance to prove themselves in battle.
And prove themselves they did. The Hellfighters spent an astonishing 191 consecutive days on the front lines—more than any other American unit in the French theater—without ever yielding ground or losing a man to enemy capture. According to Word in Black, they suffered over 1,400 casualties out of more than 2,500 who served, a testament to the ferocity of the fighting and their unwavering resolve. Their valor did not go unnoticed by their French allies, who awarded the regiment 171 Croix de Guerre medals, France’s highest military honor. The German adversaries, awed by their tenacity, dubbed them "hellfighters."
Yet, as much as they were celebrated abroad, at home their heroism was met with indifference, or worse. Upon returning to the United States in 1919, the Hellfighters were greeted with a triumphant parade up New York’s Fifth Avenue, cheered by hundreds of thousands. But the applause faded quickly, and many veterans found themselves relegated to menial jobs or, in some tragic cases, targeted by racial violence. As reported by the U.S. Army, some were lynched by white mobs who resented Black veterans. The contradiction was stark: men who had fought to make the world safe for democracy were denied basic rights and dignity in their own country.
It would take over a century, and the persistent efforts of descendants and lawmakers, to see the injustice addressed. The push for recognition began in earnest when Debra Willet, granddaughter of Sgt. Leander Willet—a Hellfighter wounded in battle but never awarded a Purple Heart—began advocating for the honor. Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.), moved by the story of Willet and others from his hometown of Glen Cove, took up the cause. He introduced the Harlem Hellfighters Congressional Gold Medal Act in 2021, rallying support from colleagues including Congresswoman Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio), Congressman Adriano Espaillat (D-N.Y.), Senator Chuck Schumer, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. The legislation passed with bipartisan support and was signed into law by former President Joe Biden.
“The Harlem Hellfighters gave everything for America. Today, America tries to give back,” Suozzi declared at the ceremony, as cited by AFRO. “This medal will stand for them, their families, their descendants and for every American who leads with courage, sacrifice and service. It’s never too late to do the right thing.”
The ceremony itself was a powerful tableau of memory and pride. House Speaker Mike Johnson called the Congressional Gold Medal “the highest honor that this body can bestow on any group or individual,” according to the U.S. Army report. The audience included not only lawmakers and military leaders—such as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine—but also the proud descendants of the Hellfighters. Artifacts from the regiment, including a uniform jacket, boots, helmet, and a meticulously detailed combat diary, were displayed by the Library of Congress, adding a tangible connection to the unit’s storied past.
One of the most moving moments came when Debra Willet addressed the gathering. “I know that my grandfather and the other brave men that fought alongside him never thought that their courage and their exploits would be celebrated in such a revered setting, and I thank all of you for giving them this honor,” she said, as reported by AFRO. “They sacrificed, and they thought that they were making a difference—today proves that they did.”
Other speakers echoed the significance of the moment. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described the Hellfighters as “brave, bold and beguiling patriots who loved America even when America didn’t show the same love for them,” according to Word in Black. Rep. Joyce Beatty emphasized that the honor was “another step toward justice and telling America the story of Black men who fought for democracy abroad while being denied democracy at home.”
The day’s events extended beyond the Capitol. The current 369th Sustainment Brigade, led by Col. Bryon Linnehan, laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery and visited the grave of Sgt. Henry Johnson, a Hellfighter posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic stand against a German attack. The delegation also attended a reception at the French embassy, a nod to the enduring bonds forged on the battlefields of France.
The ceremony was not without its reminders of ongoing struggles for recognition. Senator Schumer highlighted the controversy over the naming of military bases, noting how a fort once renamed for Henry Johnson was later re-christened Fort Polk, erasing the Hellfighter’s legacy. “A [military] base deserves to bear the name of a Harlem Hellfighter,” Schumer insisted, drawing applause from the audience.
For today’s members of the 369th, the ceremony was more than a history lesson—it was a reaffirmation of purpose and pride. Staff Sgt. Jodian Beckford reflected, “They were being embraced not by families only, but America as a whole. It was an out-of-body experience for me.” Specialist Matthew Aronberg, a recent Best Warrior competition winner, described the day as “humbling,” adding, “Everybody is so passionate about it.”
The Congressional Gold Medal awarded to the Harlem Hellfighters is more than a symbolic gesture. It is a recognition, long in coming, that the courage and sacrifice of these men helped shape the nation’s history. As the descendants stood in Emancipation Hall to receive the medal, the words of Col. Linnehan perhaps captured the moment best: “Today’s Hellfighters honor all of these men to preserve their legacy and example.”
In the end, the story of the Harlem Hellfighters is one of valor in the face of adversity, of patriotism undimmed by prejudice, and of a nation finally acknowledging the debt it owes to those who fought for its ideals—even when those ideals were denied to them.
