Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Register
Black Politics Now
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
No Result
View All Result
Black Politics Now
No Result
View All Result

Who is Sgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson of the New York Army National Guard

Black Politics Now by Black Politics Now
April 11, 2025
in Research
0
Who is Sgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson of the New York Army National Guard

Command Sergeant Major Louis Wilson accepts the Medal of Honor from former President Barack Obama awarded posthumously to Army Private Henry Johnson. (Photo courtesy of Obama White House Archives)

74
SHARES
1.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

April 10, 2025 Story by: Editor

You might also like

Black voter turnout in 2024 holds steady, with youth enthusiasm lagging behind

Data links WWI service to NAACP growth

Tuskegee Airmen: “America’s Freedom Flyers” exhibit opens in St. Louis

Sgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson, a seasoned member of the New York Army National Guard, has dedicated nearly four decades to military and public service. A retired police officer from Rochester, New York, Wilson has held top noncommissioned officer (NCO) positions at every level—from section to general officer command. Since 2014, he has served as the Command Sergeant Major of the New York National Guard.

His service includes a deployment to Kuwait and Iraq in 2004–2005 as a brigade command sergeant major, and he has also responded to numerous state emergencies, including floods, snowstorms, and the 9/11 terrorist attack in 2001.

On June 2, Wilson will represent a World War I hero when he accepts the Medal of Honor on behalf of Sgt. Henry Johnson, an African-American soldier from the New York Army National Guard who was posthumously awarded the nation’s highest military honor. Since Johnson died in 1929 without any living relatives, Wilson will accept the medal from President Barack Obama at the White House.

“It’s an incredible honor,” Wilson said.
“I am excited, happy, that I am the person selected for this to represent the Soldiers and especially the enlisted corps for this. To receive this honor on his behalf from the president,” Wilson said.

Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, the adjutant general of New York, explained that Wilson was the right person for this moment because Sgt. Johnson was an enlisted soldier in the New York National Guard and Wilson, as the senior enlisted leader, represents all enlisted members.

Sgt. Henry Johnson’s story is one of remarkable bravery and delayed recognition. At 20, Johnson worked as a baggage handler in Albany and enlisted in Company C of the 15th Regiment of the New York National Guard—an all-Black unit formed in Harlem in 1913. When the U.S. entered World War I in 1917, the regiment was renamed the 369th Infantry Regiment and deployed to France.

Due to racial bias, Black soldiers were initially given support roles by the U.S. Army. However, the French Army, needing reinforcements, welcomed the 369th to the front lines. Johnson and his unit traded their American gear for French weapons and joined the trenches.

On the night of May 14, 1918, Johnson and fellow soldier Pvt. Needham Roberts were attacked by a German raiding party of about 24 men. Despite being outnumbered and with Roberts wounded, Johnson fought fiercely using his rifle, knife, and fists, reportedly killing at least four German soldiers and wounding others.

His valor earned him France’s prestigious Croix de Guerre with a palm, but the U.S. Army did not honor him at the time. Former President Theodore Roosevelt, however, recognized his bravery, calling him “one of the five bravest American Soldiers of the war.”

Johnson returned home a hero in the press, but was soon forgotten. It wasn’t until the 1990s that a campaign began to revisit his military record. In 2003, he was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. Continued efforts ultimately led to the decision to bestow the Medal of Honor.

For Wilson, representing Johnson at the White House is deeply personal.

“With Sgt. Johnson I can equate that he was a New York National Guard Soldier and, in a way, I am his command sergeant major,” Wilson said. “I have been thinking about that a lot lately.”

Wilson, like Johnson, is African-American and a member of the National Guard. He sees their shared experience as symbolic of the progress made over the last century.

“But unlike his day in which he was never recognized, today we are recognized,” Wilson said. “He paved the way for African-American Soldiers.”
“Where they served in segregated units, today we fight side-by-side as a team,” he added.

Both men also left their hometowns—Johnson from Albany, and Wilson from Rochester—to serve their country. Wilson’s long career has taken him across New York State, echoing Johnson’s own journey of service and sacrifice.

“In his attitude of wanting to serve his country, it feels the same way I do because I wanted to serve,” Wilson added.

Although Wilson hadn’t thought much about Johnson while growing up in Rochester, that changed when he moved to Albany for his role as Command Sergeant Major. In Albany, Johnson’s legacy is ever-present—from Henry Johnson Boulevard to schools and statues bearing his name.

“People talk about him all the time,” Wilson said.

Learning more about Johnson has made the honor of standing in for him even more powerful.

One particular image of Johnson stands out to Wilson. It’s a photo taken after the war in 1919, showing Johnson proudly smiling in uniform, adorned with his medals.

“I wonder how he felt at that time,” Wilson said. “He went through a horrific fight, for the life of himself and his battle buddy and to see him afterward wearing those medals, I wonder how he felt. It gives me a sense of wonder. It makes me say wow.”

Source: National Guard 

Tags: African American military leadersMilitary leadership in NY National GuardNew York Army National Guard historyNew York Army National Guard leaderNew York National Guard heroSgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson biographySgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson careerSgt. Maj. Lewis Wilson military serviceSgt. Maj. Wilson honors and awards
Share30Tweet19
Black Politics Now

Black Politics Now

Recommended For You

Black voter turnout in 2024 holds steady, with youth enthusiasm lagging behind

by Black Politics Now
June 27, 2025
0
On Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, voters cast their ballots at the Bronx County Supreme Court in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Black voter turnout in the 2024 U.S. presidential election remained relatively strong compared to 2020, defying early speculation of widespread disengagement, according to a June 2025 analysis by...

Read moreDetails

Data links WWI service to NAACP growth

by Black Politics Now
June 30, 2025
0
Data links WWI service to NAACP growth

A study from Harvard Kennedy School researchers has produced the most comprehensive quantitative analysis to date on how U.S. military service in World War I influenced postwar civil...

Read moreDetails

Tuskegee Airmen: “America’s Freedom Flyers” exhibit opens in St. Louis

by Black Politics Now
July 1, 2025
0
Tuskegee Airmen: “America’s Freedom Flyers” exhibit opens in St. Louis

The exhibit presents an immersive, data-rich journey into the lives, service, and legacy of the first Black pilots in U.S. military history, tracing their path from segregated training...

Read moreDetails

Pvt. Fitz Lee becomes namesake of former Fort Lee military base

by Black Politics Now
July 1, 2025
0
Pvt. Fitz Lee becomes namesake of former Fort Lee military base

U.S. Army installation long known as Fort Lee—formerly honoring Confederate General Robert E. Lee—will now bear the name of Pvt. Fitz Lee, a decorated Buffalo Soldier and Medal...

Read moreDetails

What is Juneteenth?

by Black Politics Now
June 19, 2025
0
What is Juneteenth?

As Americans across the nation prepare to commemorate Juneteenth, the observance is a celebration—it’s a long-overdue recognition of resilience, justice delayed, and the continuing pursuit of freedom.

Read moreDetails
Next Post
LDF settles H.O.M.E. v. Avant Realty, mandating training and new practices to prevent housing discrimination

LDF settles H.O.M.E. v. Avant Realty, mandating training and new practices to prevent housing discrimination

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

ADVERTISEMENT

Related News

Image Source: Minnesota House of Representative

Minnesota’s new Black Women and Girls Office could serve as a model for the nation regarding murdered and missing women.

November 20, 2024
Image Source: Politico

Kamlager-Dove, Booker reintroduce ‘Second Look Act’ to reform sentencing and reduce incarceration

January 6, 2025
a golden balance scale beside a laptop

Police in Alabama city roiled by protests lacked ‘empathy’ and ‘transparency,’ report finds

January 25, 2025
Black Politics Now

Get informed on African American politics with "Black Politics Now," your ultimate source for political engagement.

CATEGORIES

  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Congressional Black Caucus
  • Criminal Justice
  • Data
  • Department of Justice
  • Diversity Initiatives
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Enviroment
  • Equity
  • Hate Crimes
  • Health
  • Housing
  • Investigations
  • Legal Defense Fund
  • NAACP
  • Policy
  • Real Estate
  • Reparations
  • Research
  • Sports
  • State Issues
  • Study
  • Supreme Court
  • Technology
  • Voter Rights
  • World

Quick Link

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of service
  • Contact us

Download Our App

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms bellow to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Business
  • Civil Rights
  • Criminal Justice
  • Education
  • Elections
  • Health
  • Policy
  • Reparations
  • Voter Rights
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Cart
SUBSCRIBE

© 2024 Black Politics Now | All Right Reserved

Join the Movement, Subscribe Now!(Don't worry, we'll never spam you!)

Don’t miss a beat—get the latest news, inspiring stories, and in-depth coverage of the issues that matter most to the Black community. Be part of the conversation and stay connected.

Enter your email address