James E. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor hero at Hill 175

Jan 12 , 2026

James E. Robinson Jr., Medal of Honor hero at Hill 175

James Robinson Jr. moved through the smoke and fury without hesitation. Bullets tore the air. Comrades fell to the sodden earth around him. But Robinson stood—front and center, a storm embodied. His body a shield, his resolve a hammer. That day in Italy, under hellish fire, he became the steel backbone no man could break.

Roots Forged in Faith and Duty

Born in Tampa, Florida, in 1918, James E. Robinson Jr. grew up with a steady compass. The son of a railroad worker and a devout mother, his childhood was no fairy tale—just grit, hard work, and church pews. Faith was his armor long before the uniform. “In this world, courage without conviction is empty,” a preacher told him. He lived by that.

By 1941, the world had cracked open. Robinson enlisted in the Army, his resolve sharpened by that silent, unshakeable promise to protect others. His sense of honor was not grand speeches but simple truth: protect your brothers, finish the fight.

The Battle That Defined Him: Hill 175, Italy, May 24, 1944

The mountains near Ponte Rotto were death traps. The Allies faced entrenched German positions, strafed by machine guns and artillery. Robinson’s unit—the 3rd Infantry Division—was grinding forward, but they stumbled into an ambush. The hill was a fortress—and a graveyard in waiting.

Then James Robinson did something fewer men dare to try. Alone, he charged. One by one, he knocked out machine gun nests, each attack soaked in bullet and blood. Twice wounded, he refused evacuation. Twice his men begged him to stay down. His answer was a grim nod and another push forward.

“Robinson was a one-man wrecking crew,” said Col. Frederick S. Strong, commander of the 15th Infantry Regiment.[1]

He rallied his squad to press the assault, guiding men through barrages with grenades and rifle fire until the hill was his. This act didn’t just save lives that day—it tipped the entire battle.

Recognition: Medal of Honor and a Place Among the Legends

For his valor on that unforgiving ridge, Robinson was awarded the Medal of Honor—the highest honor in the land. His citation reads in part:

"Despite being wounded and under heavy enemy fire, Sergeant Robinson repeatedly exposed himself to destroy enemy strong points, inspiring his men to overcome the enemy defense and secure the objective."[2]

Lt. Gen. Mark Clark later said of him:

“Men like Robinson are the reason we won. Their courage is the foundation of victory.”[3]

Robinson’s medals weren’t worn for glory. They were reminders of the friends lost, of chaos distilled into purpose.

Legacy Written in Blood and Redemption

James Robinson Jr.’s story is not just about war. It’s about a man molded by faith and hardship, who faced hell not with fury alone but with purpose. His scars tell stories—but so does his example.

Courage is not absence of fear—it is the choice to move anyway. Service is not a job—it’s a sacred vow. Redemption is not found in the absence of battle, but in the lives saved through it.

“I’ve seen the worst,” Robinson said in a postwar interview, “but if your heart holds fast, there’s always a way forward.”

His legacy is written in the dirt where he fought, in the souls of those who remember. We owe more than medals—we owe remembrance, honor, and the grit to live up to the sacrifice.

“Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” —1 Corinthians 16:13

James E. Robinson Jr. was that watchman—a warrior whose stand still echoes through the ages. His story is a battle hymn for all who carry scars, who walk through fire and keep moving toward the light.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Medal of Honor Citation, James E. Robinson Jr. 3. Mark W. Clark, Calculated Risk: The War in Sicily and Italy, 1943–1944