The full caption for this item is as follows: Two American Negroes win Croix De Guerre. These [African American] fighters routed a German raiding party numerically stronger. The two men, Henry Johnson, left, and Neadham Roberts, right, are members of the 369th Regiment Infantry. Each has been decorated with the French Croix de Guerre.
The 369th Infantry Regiment, more famously known as the Harlem Hellfighters, was an infantry regiment during World War I. The regiment is well known for its participation in several key battles including Champagne-Marne, Aisne-Marne, Belleau Wood, Chateau-Thierry and Meuse-Argonne. By the end of the 369th Infantry’s campaign, they suffered 1,500 casualties, the highest of any U.S. regiment. They also spent 191 days in front-line trenches, longer than any unit of their size. Upon the regiment’s arrival in the United States, they were celebrated with a parade in New York City.
