Army renames Louisiana base for Black WWI hero who received Medal of Honor

FORT JOHNSON, La. (AP) — A U.S. Army base in western Louisiana has been renamed in honor of Sgt. William Henry Johnson, a Black veteran of World War I and a Medal of Honor recipient. While serving in France in 1918, Johnson was wounded 21 times while he fought off a German night raid. His brave actions were recognized nearly a century later when he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor in 2015. Fort Johnson was previously named after a Confederate commander, Leonidas Polk. The names of nine Army posts that commemorated Confederate officers are being changed as part of the military’s efforts to address historic racial injustice.