James E. Robinson Jr.'s Medal of Honor Charge on Philippine Ridge

Dec 13 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr.'s Medal of Honor Charge on Philippine Ridge

James E. Robinson Jr. pressed forward, agony burning through his legs, a bullet tearing through bone. Blood turned the frozen dirt beneath him to mud. Around him, his men faltered under relentless fire. The ridge wasn’t just a hill—it was survival itself. He refused to let it slip away.

Background & Faith

Born in Topeka, Kansas, 1918, Robinson was no stranger to hard work and quiet grit. His faith was forged in the pews of Grace Methodist Church, where Sunday hymns and scripture laid a bedrock beneath the storms ahead. “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” became more than words. It was survival code.

Before the war, he worked as a lineman—not glamorous, but honest. Discipline, duty, and faith drove him. These weren’t just virtues; they were armor. When he joined the Army, he signed up to serve, not for glory, but because he reckoned no task was too great, no sacrifice too steep.

The Battle That Defined Him

March 28, 1945, Filipino soil near Manila. Robinson was a Technical Sergeant in the 112th Cavalry Regiment, part of the 43rd Infantry Division. Their mission: wrest a strategic ridge bristling with Japanese soldiers entrenched and desperate.

The assault stalled under punishing fire. Casualties mounted. The men hesitated—and the ridge meant everything. Robinson didn’t wait. He charged headlong, screaming orders to keep moving. Multiple wounds slowed him, but he shrugged each off, dragging his shattered body forward. When a machine gun nest threatened to wipe out his squad, he single-handedly wiped it out with hand grenades.

His leadership ignited the men around him. Under withering fire, he led three separate charges. Each time, he pulled his unit closer, bone by bone, inch by inch. After hours soaked in sweat and blood, the ridge fell. Robinson’s actions saved dozens of lives and turned the tide in that sector.

Recognition

For his valor, James E. Robinson Jr. received the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration. The citation read in part:

“With complete disregard for his own safety, he led repeated attacks under intense enemy fire. His dauntless courage and indomitable spirit inspired his men to overrun enemy positions and achieve their objective.”

Lieutenant Colonel Ethridge, his commanding officer, called Robinson “the embodiment of courage—no hesitation, no fear, only fierce resolve.”

This was no mere hero hype. Robinson’s wounds were grave. Hospitals saw him for months. But in every recounting, the heart behind the heroism never wavered: a man bent by war but unbroken in spirit.

Legacy & Lessons

James E. Robinson Jr. teaches us that courage isn’t absence of fear—it’s action in spite of it. That leadership comes where sacrifice meets unswerving duty. That faith can carry a soldier through the darkest trenches, body battered but will iron-strong.

His story isn’t about medals or glory stripes. It’s about men who dare to stand while the world burns around them. It’s about never yielding, in battle or life.

“Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid...for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” —Joshua 1:9

Robinson’s legacy slices through time, a beacon for those who know the cost of sacrifice and the price of freedom. His blood-soaked footprints lead straight to redemption—not just his own, but for every soldier who carries the weight of war long after the guns fall silent.