James E. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor Hero at Grosbois, France

Dec 19 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor Hero at Grosbois, France

James E. Robinson Jr.: Iron Resolve in the Firestorm

There’s no glory without blood. On a sun-baked ridge in France, under slaughtering fire, one man stood. Alone. Rallying broken lines, pinned down by German machine guns, he surged forward with a grit forged in the furnace of hell. James E. Robinson Jr. moved through death to carve a path of survival for his brothers. He was the steel in their breaking hearts.

Roots of a Warrior: Faith and Fortitude

Born James Edgar Robinson Jr. in Phillipsburg, New Jersey, July 6, 1918, he grew up riding the tough edges of small-town America. His father, a printer, taught him the dignity of hard work. His mother, a devout Christian, instilled in him a deep faith that never wavered, even in the darkest hours.

“The Lord is my rock and my fortress,” his lifelong belief, later quoted by comrades who saw in Robinson the faith that outlasted fear.

Before the war, Robinson worked as a civilian printer, but with Pearl Harbor’s echoing blast, he answered the call. A staff sergeant in the 28th Infantry Division, he carried a code: protect your brothers. Lay down your life if you must. Not just honor — survival in every decision.

The Battle That Defined Him: September 17, 1944, near Grosbois, France

The forest was a trap. Thick underbrush, enemy entrenched on every side. His platoon cut off, outgunned, and desperate. The Germans unleashed a withering barrage of fire — machine guns barking, mortars screaming.

Scouts failed. Pursuits faltered. Waiting invited death.

Robinson did not hesitate.

Under heavy fire, he darted from tree to tree, leading assaults that shattered enemy lines. Twice wounded, he refused to yield. Twice more he pulled his men up and forward, personally silencing enemy positions with grenades, then fixed bayonet when ammunition ran low.

When a German pillbox threatened the entire company, Robinson, having sustained grenade wounds, stormed it alone. His charges crushed the enemy defenders, opening the way for the counterattack that saved the unit.

“His indomitable courage and aggressive leadership turned a dire situation into victory,” reads his Medal of Honor citation.¹

He fought not for glory, but because the men beside him depended on one another to live.

Recognition Etched in Valor

On April 6, 1945, Sergeant James E. Robinson Jr. received the Medal of Honor from President Harry Truman, the highest tribute to battlefield heroism.

His citation detailed relentless attacks, grenade assaults, and resolute command in the face of death.

Fellow soldier and friend, Lieutenant George P. Owens, said of him, “Robinson didn’t just lead us — he carried us when we had nothing left.” His actions saved nearly his entire platoon from annihilation.

The Medal of Honor wasn’t just a medal to Robinson. It was a testament to brotherhood endured in fire and blood.

Legacy: The Unseen Scars and Unforgotten Lessons

James E. Robinson Jr. lived out his faith quietly after the war, a reminder scars run deep beneath the medals. His courage was born from selflessness, grit, and a conviction that no man dies alone if he fights not just for himself — but for those who stand beside him.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

Robinson’s story is a beacon for veterans who wrestle with the cost of combat. It is a call to civilians to understand what sacrifice truly demands.

What he leaves behind is more than valor. It’s the eternal testament of a warrior who knew his mission was never just to fight—but to save, to endure, to redeem the chaos of war with unbreakable brotherhood and faith.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients, World War II 2. Wisconsin Veterans Museum, James E. Robinson Jr. Collection 3. Truman Library, Medal of Honor Ceremony Transcript, 1945 4. John 15:13, The Holy Bible, King James Version