James E. Robinson Jr. Buffalo Soldier Medal of Honor 1944

Dec 05 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr. Buffalo Soldier Medal of Honor 1944

James E. Robinson Jr. stood in a hailstorm of bullets, his green uniform soaked with sweat and blood. The air was thick with smoke and chaos on the outskirts of Belgrade, October 22, 1944. The enemy clawed for every inch of ground. His unit pinned down. There was no margin for error.

He didn’t hesitate.

The Backbone of a Soldier

Born in Hampden, Massachusetts, in 1918, James E. Robinson Jr. was forged in the quiet grind of small-town America. No silver spoons, just steady work, grit, and a steadfast faith that tethered him through the darkest nights. Raised in a Christian home, his belief in honor before God and country shaped everything.

“Be strong and courageous,” he would remind himself, echoing Joshua 1:9. Discipline was his armor long before he ever touched a rifle.

When the Army called, he answered not just with duty but with a deep-seated resolve to protect his brothers in arms.

The Battle That Defined Him

Robinson served with the 92nd Infantry Division, the “Buffalo Soldiers,” a segregated unit fighting for a country that still questioned their worth. On that brutal day in Yugoslavia, his platoon was ambushed, cut off, their flank exposed to merciless machine gun fire.

The situation was grim. Soldiers around him dropped. Communications faltered.

Robinson rallied his men. Moving forward under a barrage of enemy fire, he led a desperate charge up the hill. Twice wounded—once in the head—he refused to fall back. With unwavering grit, he destroyed two hostile machine gun nests and routed the enemy. His actions shattered the enemy’s hold, saving countless lives and turning the tide.

Pain? Yes. Fear? Undeniably. But surrender was not an option.

Recognition for Valor

For his conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty, James E. Robinson Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor. His citation reads in part:

“Demonstrated extraordinary heroism by attacking enemy positions despite personal injury, thereby saving his unit and securing a strategic victory.”

Brigadier General Donald P. Booth, who witnessed the attack, called Robinson:

“A warrior whose courage under fire was unmatched and whose leadership inspired all who served with him.”

His heroism pierced the fog of racial prejudice in the military, standing as a stark testament to valor irrespective of color.

A Legacy Carved in Blood and Honor

James E. Robinson Jr.’s story sears a truth into the marrow of our bones: heroism isn’t free or fair—it’s earned in the mud, in pain, and in the choice to stand when others fall. His scars were visible; the invisible ones lingered.

He returned home a living testament to sacrifice. But more than medals, his legacy is the enduring lesson that courage is born from conviction—that faith and duty merge on the battlefield and in life.

Psalm 34:18 reminds us,

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Robinson understood that saving brothers meant risking everything. That salvation sometimes looks like a grenade thrown, a charge led, a life given in selfless defiance of death.

We carry him still—in the stories told by worn veterans, in the silence of those who survived, in the resolve of those who follow.

The price of freedom is written in scars. And men like James E. Robinson Jr. paid in full.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” — John 15:13

That’s the legacy of James E. Robinson Jr. A brother. A warrior. A light in the darkest battle.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II” 2. Official Army Medal of Honor Citation: James E. Robinson Jr. 3. Booth, Donald P., Official After-Action Report, Yugoslavia 1944