Local officials honor WWI hero Sgt. Henry Johnson on Medal of Honor Day

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- Tuesday was National Medal of Honor Day, and a museum to honor the nearly 4,000 heroes who have received the distinction opened in Arlington, Texas.

The project was spearheaded by multiple past presidents and broke ground in 2022. It spans more than 100,000 sq. ft. and includes a 360-degree theater honoring the 61 Medal of Honor recipients who are still alive.

All veterans have free admission at the museum through the rest of the week.

Local officials honored Medal of Honor recipient Sgt. Henry Johnson on Tuesday. He was a Black World War I hero from Albany, who fought off German soldiers to save other American troops.

The webpage about the U.S. Army fort in Louisiana named after Johnson has been taken down. Local officials said its part of Pres. Donald Trump's cuts to diversity, equity and inclusion funding.

"We have to make sure, that as New Yorkers, that we reclaim the diverse history as the Department of Defense tries to strip the heroes of color from our history books," Assemblyman Steven Otis said.

Fort Johnson was renamed in 2023 as part of a Congressional mandate to update military bases that honored Confederate figures.