© 2024
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
An update has been released for the Android version of the WAMC App that addresses performance issues. Please check the Google Play Store to download and update to the latest version.

Medal Of Honor Campaign Advances For Albany WWI Hero

WWI hero Henry Johnson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.
Public Domain
WWI hero Henry Johnson is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

The U.S. Senate has passed legislation that would allow the president to consider awarding a posthumous Medal of Honor to Sgt. Henry Johnson, a World War I hero from upstate New York.

Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the bill's co-sponsor, says Friday that his measure passed unanimously Thursday. It now goes to the House for a vote. If approved, the legislation goes to the president for consideration.

Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel last month recommended awarding Johnson the nation's highest military decoration for bravery in combat.

The decision came after years of effort by Schumer and others to get Johnson the medal. The rail station porter from Albany was serving in an all-black infantry regiment when he saved a fellow soldier from capture during a German attack in France in 1918.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press

Dave Lucas is WAMC’s Capital Region Bureau Chief. Born and raised in Albany, he’s been involved in nearly every aspect of local radio since 1981. Before joining WAMC, Dave was a reporter and anchor at WGY in Schenectady. Prior to that he hosted talk shows on WYJB and WROW, including the 1999 series of overnight radio broadcasts tracking the JonBenet Ramsey murder case with a cast of callers and characters from all over the world via the internet. In 2012, Dave received a Communicator Award of Distinction for his WAMC news story "Fail: The NYS Flood Panel," which explores whether the damage from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee could have been prevented or at least curbed. Dave began his radio career as a “morning personality” at WABY in Albany.
Related Content