President Barack Obama posthumously bestows the Medal of Honor for Army Sgt. William Shemin to his daughters Ina Bass, left, and Elsie Shemin-Roth of St. Louis during a ceremony at the White House. Two World War I Army heroes, one black, one Jewish, were honored with Medals of Honor they may have been denied because of discrimination.

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama awarded the Medal of Honor Tuesday to two World War I Army soldiers who may have been denied the top military honor in the past due to discrimination.

“It’s never too late to say thank you,” Obama said.

Obama posthumously recognized Sgt. William Shemin, a Jewish soldier, and Pvt. Henry Johnson, an African-American serviceman, for their heroism rescuing comrades on the battlefields of France nearly a century ago.

Shemin’s two daughters, Elsie and Ina, received the award on behalf of their father. New York National Guard Command Sgt. Maj. Louis Wilson accepted the medal on Johnson’s behalf.

Shemin repeatedly dodged gunfire to pull wounded comrades to safety during three days of bloody battle.

And Pvt. Henry Johnson rescued a wounded comrade from his all-black regiment while single-handedly fighting off a surprise German attack.

The award comes after tireless efforts by advocates for the two men led Congress to pass an exemption from Medal of Honor rules specifying that heroic actions have to have taken place within five years to be considered.