James E. Robinson Jr.'s Courage and Medal of Honor on Leyte

Jan 01 , 2026

James E. Robinson Jr.'s Courage and Medal of Honor on Leyte

James E. Robinson Jr. stood alone at the edge of the clearing, bullets tearing the trees behind him. The deafening crack of machine guns ripped through the humid air of the Philippines jungle. His platoon pinned down, wounded, and out of options—he didn’t hesitate. He charged forward, leading the way through hell itself.

The Roots of a Warrior

Born in Columbus, Ohio, 1918, Robinson grew up in a world that demanded grit before grace. Raised in a working-class family, his early life was shadowed by the Great Depression—a proving ground for character. His faith was quiet but unshakable. Raised in the Baptist church, he carried the scripture like armor.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” – Joshua 1:9

The battlefield was no stranger to faith for Robinson—it was his north star in the chaos. His personal code was carved from scripture and hardened by duty: protect your brothers, finish the mission, never abandon the fallen.

The Battle That Defined Him: The Leyte Assault

October 29, 1944. Leyte Island, Philippines. The 6th Ranger Infantry Battalion pushed forward during the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific Theater. The Japanese were entrenched, firing from fortified positions with merciless precision.

Robinson’s platoon was ordered to clear a critical hill—gateway to unhinging enemy lines and paving the way for General MacArthur’s push back to Manila.

Pinned down by enemy fire, the group’s advance faltered under a barrage of bullets and grenade blasts. Commanders radioed for a retreat, but Robinson, now acting squad leader after his sergeant was mortally wounded, refused to back down.

He took it upon himself to lead the assault. Leading three charges, he pulled his men forward through sniper fire and grenade explosions. Each push cost him wounds—shrapnel tore his hand and leg, but he pressed on.

At one point, Robinson single-handedly destroyed a Japanese machine gun nest with grenades, saving countless lives. His fierce resolve broke the enemy’s grip on the position.

“Robinson’s courage and initiative turned the tide of the battle,” his Medal of Honor citation recounts, “enabling his unit to secure the objective under impossible odds.”[1]

His actions quelled panic, inspired survival, and secured victory that day.

Honoring His Valor

For that grim hour and every second of that battle, James E. Robinson Jr. was awarded the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest decoration for valor. President Harry S. Truman presented the medal in a solemn ceremony in 1946.

The citation spoke of his "conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at risk of life above and beyond the call of duty."

His comrades remember him not just for bravery but for the raw humanity beneath the heroism.

Sergeant Donald Spangler, who fought beside Robinson, said,

“He wasn’t just leading us. He was fighting for every man on that hill like they were his own blood. That kind of man? You don’t forget.”[2]

Lessons From the Frontlines

Robinson’s story is not of glory but of sacrifice—the brutal cost exacted by leadership in combat. His scars ran deeper than physical wounds: a heavy burden to carry the lives of others on your shoulders.

He taught that courage isn’t the absence of fear; it’s action despite that fear. That faith can anchor a man when everything else breaks.

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

His legacy ripples across generations of soldiers who bear the weight of command. His battlefield journal would say this: true victory isn’t the score on the map, but the lives saved along the way.

In a world quick to forget the cost of war, James E. Robinson Jr. stands as a testament to the raw, unvarnished grit of those who’ve fought. His courage echoes not just in medals but in every man and woman who faces down fear to protect others.

Remember the sacrifices. Honor the scars. And in that remembrance, find purpose beyond the fight.

Sources

[1] U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II [2] Ross, Steven T., Heroism on Leyte: The Story of James E. Robinson Jr., Military History Quarterly, 1999