Political Quotes

“I am proud to support H.R. 480 which designates the U.S. postal service facility at 747 Broadway in Albany, New York, as the Henry Johnson Annex. Henry Johnson was a native of Albany, served in World War I, and was an African American who joined the all-black New York National Guard unit, the 369th Infantry Regiment, based in Harlem. About 400,000 black soldiers served in the Armed Forces at that time. Half were sent overseas, and many were stationed in France. They were not allowed to serve with white soldiers. They were not allowed to fight with American combat units. But the members of the 369th soon proved themselves. They became known as the 'Harlem Hell Fighters,' and that was not a name they took for themselves. That was a name given to them by their enemies. No one personified the bravery of the 369th more than Henry Johnson. On guard duty on May 14, 1918, then-Private Johnson came under attack by a German raider party of two dozen. Despite sustaining 21 wounds, he single-handedly fought off the Germans and rescued one of his buddies . . . with only a rifle and his bare hands.”