Obama bows his head during the benediction before the Medal of Honor ceremony Tuesday. Carolyn Kaster/AP
Obama Awards Two WWI Vets with Medal of Honor
On Tuesday, President Obama bestowed the Medal of Honor on two men for their bravery in combat.
President Obama posthumously awarded two Medals of Honor Tuesday to Pvt. Henry Johnson and Sgt. William Shemin of the Army—nearly a century after the two served in World War I.
"Today, America honors two of her sons that served in World War I nearly a century ago," said President Obama during the ceremony. "They both risked their own lives to save the lives of others. They both left us decades ago before we could give them the full recognition they deserved, but it's never too late to say thank you."
Johnson and Shemin were recognized for their valor in retaliating against enemy forces and protecting fellow soldiers.
During night sentry duty on May 15, 1918, Johnson helped his "Harlem Hellfighters" regiment—an African-American infantry unit—in a surprise attack of at least 12 German raiders. Johnson held off German forces and engaged in hand-to-hand combat to keep a fellow soldier from being taken, according to the White House. After returning from the war, Johnson could not find work, Obama said. Johnson died in July 1929 from 21 combat injuries and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
"America can't change what happened to Henry Johnson," Obama said, "We can't change what happened to too many soldiers like him who went uncelebrated because our nation judged them by the color of their skin and not the content of their character. We can do our best to make it right." Command Sgt. Major Louis Wilson, New York National Guard, accepted the Medal of Honor in his behalf.
Obama also bestowed the medal on Shemin, a rifleman, who exposed himself to a barrage of machine-gun and rifle fire repeatedly to recover wounded soldiers, also suffering shrapnel wounds, according to the White House. The president highlighted Shemin's ability to take leadership of the platoon, saying: "Too many officers had become casualties, so William stepped up and took command. He reorganized the depleted squads. Every time there was a lull in combat, he led rescues of the wounded."
"It takes our nation too long sometimes to say so, because Sergeant Shemin served at a time when the contributions and heroism of Jewish Americans in uniform were too often overlooked," he added. Shemin's daughters, Ida and Elsie, accepted the medal on their father's behalf.
These are not the first awards recognizing the service of Johnson and Shemin. In 1996, Johnson was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and, later, the Distinguished Service Cross. It has taken almost a century for Johnson to posthumously receive the Medal of Honor, however, mainly because he, as other black soldiers had, served under French command since they were not allowed to fight alongside white American units at the time. Shemin also received the Purple Heart and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross in 1919. He died in 1973.
These are the 44th and 45th Medals of Honor that Obama has awarded. The last Medal of Honor ceremony, in November, recognized Lieutenant Alonzo H. Cushing, who served during the Civil War.