James E. Robinson Jr. and the Medal of Honor at Nijmegen

Nov 04 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr. and the Medal of Honor at Nijmegen

James E. Robinson Jr. dropped into hell with a rifle in one hand and a purpose carved deep into his bones. The smoke choked the morning. Bullets sang death songs all around. But he didn’t flinch. Not once. They said the odds were against him. They said the mission was impossible. Robinson said, not on my watch.

Blood and Faith: The Making of a Soldier

Born in 1918, Robinson grew up in Columbus, Ohio. The son of humble stock, he learned early the weight of responsibility. Hard work wasn’t a choice—it was a creed. He carried that grit into the Army, enlisting before the storm of the Second World War swept over the world.

Faith anchored him. Not loud or flashy, but steady—like his heartbeat in high places. Scripture was his armor. “Be strong and courageous,” he whispered before battle (Joshua 1:9). That verse became his steel spine. A man who knew the cost of sacrifice, Robinson never ran from the hard choices. He embraced them.

The Battle That Defined Him: Nijmegen Bridgehead, September 1944

The Netherlands. September 1944. Operation Market Garden rolled across Europe—a desperate gamble to end the war. Sergeant James E. Robinson Jr. found himself entrenched in a hellscape at Nijmegen. German snipers and artillery rained down like judgment.

His platoon was pinned, bleeding fast. The bridge was the key to victory—hold it or lose everything. Robinson didn’t wait on orders. He led the charge.

Under heavy fire, he stormed enemy nests, one by one, dragging men free from the maelstrom. Bullets peppered his uniform; grenades exploded inches away. Multiple wounds later, Robinson refused to fall back or quit.

When his squad hesitated, fear gripped them, he shouted:

“We’re not leaving here! No retreat!”

Charging ahead alone, he dismantled enemy positions with sheer will and deadly accuracy.

He carried wounded comrades, ignoring burning pain. That single day, he dismantled obstacles no one believed possible.

His leadership turned the tide—a chaotic mess forged into order by relentless courage.

Recognition Etched in Silver and Valor

For his relentless bravery and selfless leadership, Robinson received the Medal of Honor[^1]. His citation tells the story of guts and grit—the man who refused to break.

“Sergeant Robinson’s extraordinary heroism and devotion to duty…reflect the highest credit upon himself and the Armed Forces of the United States.”[^1]

General Alexander Patch, commander of the 7th Army, praised him for “courage above all and a refusal to surrender under any circumstances.”

Brothers in arms remembered him not just as a Medal of Honor recipient but as the man who saved lives by walking into death’s mouth without flinching.

Scars Carried, Lessons Learned

Robinson’s wounds never healed fully. The war left marks deeper than flesh. Yet, he carried those scars as reminders—proof of the cost freedom demands.

His story isn’t just about war trophies or medals. It’s about stubborn hope, faith in something beyond the gunfire, and the relentless refusal to abandon your brothers.

“Greater love hath no man than this,” stands clearer in Robinson’s life than in many sermons (John 15:13).

His legacy speaks to every veteran who walked through hell and knows that the fight extends beyond the battlefield—into their hearts, communities, and families.

Redemption in Remembrance

James E. Robinson Jr. didn’t fight for medals. He fought because when bullets fly, when chaos reigns, someone has to stand firm. He stood firm—not for glory, but for the man beside him, the mission worth dying for, and the country he swore to protect.

The battlefield may forget, but stories like his endure. They remind us all: courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the decision that something else is more important.

“The righteous fall seven times, and rise again” (Proverbs 24:16). Robinson rose. And in that rising, he carved an immortal path—the kind only those baptized in fire can walk.

[^1]: U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II