James E. Robinson Jr. and the 761st's WWII Medal of Honor

Dec 30 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr. and the 761st's WWII Medal of Honor

James E. Robinson Jr. stood alone amid a hellscape soaked in mud and blood. Bullets tore the air where shadows danced beneath shattered trees. His company faltered. Dead were strewn like broken rag dolls. Yet Robinson crawled forward, every nerve screaming, dragging his men’s battered hopes behind him. The hillside was a graveyard—until he became its shepherd.

Roots in Duty and Faith

Born October 16, 1918, in New Orleans, Robinson grew up steeped in the grit of the American South and the discipline of a devout Christian household. The church was his compass. His faith formed a backbone stronger than steel. In letters home he would write, “The Lord is my strength in the fight and my shield in the dark.” His moral code wasn’t just about obedience; it was about redemption through sacrifice, a concept he’d live in blood on a foreign shore.

Enlisting in the Army during the Second World War, Robinson joined the 761st Tank Battalion—the first African-American armored unit. Facing rampant segregation and doubt, Robinson carried not just his rifle but the burden of a country that questioned his valor. His faith and resolve never wavered. He once said, “We’ve got to prove ourselves every day—to the enemy, to ourselves.”

The Battle That Defined Him: January 28, 1944

The muddy ground near Carano, Italy, was a death trap. The 761st was tasked with clearing a German ridge that guarded vital approaches. The enemy was entrenched, firing from multiple bunkers. Robinson’s tank took a direct hit; his crew was wounded or killed. Alone, he dismounted, weapon in hand. He pressed forward under withering fire.

Robinson didn’t wait for orders; he led assaults brigade after brigade avoided. Using a borrowed .45 pistol, he charged one bunker after another, silencing enemy combatants with ruthless precision. He carried wounded men to safety, returned for their weapons, and rallied the shattered remnants of his unit.

The citation for his Medal of Honor described how Robinson repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire to destroy machine gun nests while inspiring his comrades to push forward. His actions caused the collapse of the German defensive line and secured the ridge—a pivotal gain for the Allies at that phase of the Italian campaign[1].

Medal of Honor Award and Words from Brothers-in-Arms

On June 13, 1945, Robinson became the first African-American soldier to receive the Medal of Honor for valor in World War II[2]. President Harry S. Truman presented the medal in the White House Rose Garden—a moment heavy with the weight of history and change.

Fellow soldiers remembered Robinson as a man who “walked like he was carrying the hope of a generation.” Lieutenant Colonel George S. Patton Jr., who was famously intolerant of racial discrimination, reportedly said of the 761st, “They are the greatest fighting combat unit ever to have served my country in my lifetime,” a testament to men like Robinson who shattered barriers with bullets and bravery[3].

Legacy in Sacrifice and Redemption

Robinson’s story isn’t wrapped in glory for glory’s sake. It is the hard truth of battle and the salvation found in service beyond self. His legacy teaches that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s charging headfirst through it for a cause that outlasts one’s own scars.

Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go. — Joshua 1:9

In countless letters, speeches, and memorials, Robinson’s name echoes as a reminder. Valor is not bound by color or station. It is the willingness to be the shield when all others fall, to be the hand that pulls the helpless from hell. His life is a desperate hymn for redemptive sacrifice against a backdrop of war and injustice.

James E. Robinson Jr. gave more than his life on that ridge—he gave a promise. That courage and faith can together carve a path through the darkest hell. And that true victory lies not in medals but in whose lives you save while the guns fall silent.