Henry Johnson, aka “Black Death,” beat back a German attack on his own
The U.S. was initially reluctant to join WWI, so American soldiers only saw battle after 1917. Of course, many African-American men enlisted, but the army was still segregated, and only one unit, the 370th Infantry Regiment, was commanded by Black officers.
That did not make them any less willing to fight. Henry Johnson became a hero when he beat back a German assault on his own. The French recognized his bravery before his own country did. They awarded him the Croix de Guerre in the last years of the war, while the Americans did not grant him any medals until 1996.