Obama awards Medal of Honor to black, Jewish WWI soldiers: 'It's never too late to say thank you'

(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

published 3 June 2015

On Tuesday, President Obama posthumously awarded the nation's highest military honor, the Congressional Medal of Honor, to Army Sgt. William Shemin and Pvt. Henry Johnson, two soldiers who demonstrated heroic bravery during World War I and were apparently passed over for decoration because Shemin was Jewish and Johnson was black.

Johnson, who fought off a German sneak attack in 1918 while attached to a French unit, had been awarded France's highest military honor, but the Pentagon normally only awards top military honors within five years of the celebrated incident. A defense bill passed in December scratched those rules for Johnson and Shemin, who rescued wounded colleagues under fire for three days in 1918.

"We are a nation, a people who remember our heroes," Obama said at a ceremony in the White House. "We never forget their sacrifice, and we believe it's never too late to say thank you." Watch highlights of the ceremony below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.