James E. Robinson Jr. Medal of Honor Hero of the 761st Black Panthers

Nov 18 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr. Medal of Honor Hero of the 761st Black Panthers

James E. Robinson Jr. stood in the mud, rain pouring down like bullets from the gray sky. The artillery crashed around him. His unit pinned down, unable to move forward without sacrifice. And still, Robinson pushed—forward through hell, dragging his men with him. A single man’s courage bleeding hope into that blasted field.

Roots of Steel and Faith

Born in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1918, Robinson grew up in a world that demanded grit. Raised in a tight-knit, hardworking family, faith was the bedrock beneath his boots. Baptized young, he carried scripture in his heart like armor. The Warrior’s Code was more than country—it was God, honor, and brotherhood.

Before the war, Robinson labored in the postal service, quiet but determined. When the call came, he answered without hesitation. A man of humble means but towering resolve.

His genuine faith shaped his actions: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). It wasn’t just a verse to him—it was a mission.

The Battle That Defined Him

September 23, 1944. The tiny hamlet of Climbach, France.

Robinson, a lieutenant in the 761st Tank Battalion, found his unit bogged down under relentless fire. German machine guns and mortars shredded the open ground. Men dropped like cut wheat. The enemy’s defenses seemed impenetrable.

But Robinson moved with purpose. Leading on foot, unafraid of the storm of bullets, he charged the first stronghold. He took point, spurring his men forward under flares and smoke. When two tank sections flanked left, he redirected the attack to exploit gaps in enemy lines.

His leadership was brutal and direct—calling for assaults on multiple fronts, rallying his broken squad in moments of terror. When a wounded comrade lay exposed, Robinson risked his own life to pull him to safety with no regards to his own wounds.

The assault was costly but decisive. Robinson’s bold, relentless push shattered German resistance, opening the way for the battalion’s advance.

“His fearless leadership in the face of death saved countless lives,” his citation would read. “Without his initiative and gallantry, the mission would have failed.”[1]

Honors Earned in Blood

For these actions, James E. Robinson Jr. received the Medal of Honor—the highest American military distinction. The citation describes assaults carried out under withering fire, his courage unwavering as he maneuvered his men against enemy light machine guns, snipers, and mortars.

Patton himself praised the 761st Tank Battalion, the “Black Panthers,” as the first African American armored unit to see combat in WWII. Robinson’s heroism was part of a larger narrative of breaking barriers in a segregated army.

Fellow soldiers described Robinson as a “rock in the storm,” a leader who never counted the cost. He epitomized sacrifice—the embodiment of a warrior who took every wound personally but never wavered.

Lessons Written in Blood and Faith

Robinson’s story demands more than admiration; it commands reflection.

Courage is not bravery without fear. It is acting despite fear—choosing the hard right over the easy wrong. Robinson showed that in the mud, under fire, but also in the quiet moments when he chose to protect his men at great cost.

His faith never left him. The words from Philippians rang true—“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13). That strength was visible on the battlefield, but also in the redemption that followed war.

He returned to civilian life carrying scars unseen—prejudice, pain, but also a profound sense of duty fulfilled.

Robinson’s legacy is a call to remember the soldiers who fight not for glory, but because it’s right. To honor sacrifices not just with medals but with understanding.

“A warrior’s true battle is not against the enemy outside, but the doubts and fears within,” Robinson might have reflected. “And the grace that carries you through that is the greatest victory of all.”

He marched from that battlefield into history—a testament to sacrifice, faith, and the unbreakable bond of brotherhood forged in fire.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Citation: James E. Robinson Jr. [2] Rick Atkinson, The Guns at Last Light: The War in Western Europe, 1944-1945, Henry Holt and Company [3] George R. Rawick, The 761st Tank Battalion: Black Panthers, Office of the Chief Signal Officer Archives