---
title: Sergeant Henry Johnson, American Hero of World War I
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/us-owi-alston-sgt-henry-johnson-1943/
description: A multi-panel sheet with a portrait of Sergeant Henry Johnson and smaller scenes of his work as a railway porter.
section: Collection
---

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3. Sergeant Henry Johnson, American Hero of World War I

[![Sergeant Henry Johnson, American Hero of World War I, 1943 US cartoon: A multi-panel sheet with a portrait of Sergeant Henry](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/us-owi-alston-sgt-henry-johnson-1943.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/us-owi-alston-sgt-henry-johnson-1943.jpg)

# Sergeant Henry Johnson, American Hero of World War I

A multi-panel sheet with a portrait of Sergeant Henry Johnson and smaller scenes of his work as a railway porter, receiving the Croix de Guerre and fighting off a raiding party. The tell is testimonial: a named First World War soldier is held up as 'an inspiration to our fighting men today', with the claims supplied by the sheet's own captions.

## Propaganda techniques used in this cartoon

[Testimonial](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/testimonial/) [Transfer](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/transfer/)

## Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
Sergeant HENRY JOHNSON
AMERICAN HERO-WORLD WAR I
AN INSPIRATION TO OUR FIGHTING MEN TODAY
HENRY JOHNSON AND NEEDHAM ROBERTS WERE THE FIRST AMERICAN SOLDIERS TO RECEIVE THE COVETED CROIX DE GUERRE!
LATER, THEIR ENTIRE REGIMENT WAS DECORATED!
BEFORE THE WAR, JOHNSON WAS A PEACEFUL REDCAP IN ALBANY, N.Y.!!
"The BATTLE of HENRY JOHNSON"
WHEN A RAIDING PARTY ATTEMPTED TO DRAG ROBERTS, HIS SEVERELY WOUNDED BUDDY, AWAY AS A PRISONER, LITTLE HENRY WENT TO WORK WITH HIS DEADLY FRENCH BOLO KNIFE. BETWEEN THEM, ROBERTS HURLING GRENADES, AND JOHNSON WIELDING HIS WICKED BOLO, THEY KILLED FOUR OF THE RAIDERS, AND WOUNDED OR ROUTED AT LEAST TWENTY FOUR MORE!!
[Signed:] Alston OWI
```

[← "Right between the eyes!!"](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/us-owi-alston-right-between-the-eyes-1943/) ["That won't stop us - we'll be back!!" →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/us-owi-alston-that-wont-stop-us-1943/)

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