James E. Robinson Jr., World War II Medal of Honor Hero

Jan 17 , 2026

James E. Robinson Jr., World War II Medal of Honor Hero

The ground shook beneath him as bullets whipped by like angry hail. Smoke choked the air, men fell in shattered silence, but there he was—James E. Robinson Jr.—moving forward against impossible odds. One man, a razor edge of relentless will. The war wasn’t waiting. Neither was he.

Blood and Roots: Where Honor Was Born

James E. Robinson Jr. came from Cleveland, Ohio, a city that taught toughness and grit. Born in 1918, he carried the blue-collar ethic of sweat and sacrifice. His faith was his backbone—a quiet conviction he carried like armor. Raised in a household where right and wrong weren’t just ideas, but commands, Robinson believed a man’s soul was on the line every time he put his life on the line.

His unit was the U.S. Army's 398th Infantry Regiment, 100th Infantry Division, a band of brothers hardened in the furnace of the European Theater. Their creed? Mission above self. Survival meant nothing if the cause was lost.

The Battle That Defined a Warrior

October 29, 1944. The hills of Hauts de Blair in France were a hellscape riddled with German machine gun nests and artillery. Robinson’s platoon was pinned down, cut off from the rest of the company. They were trapped—no reinforcements, no retreat.

Without hesitation, Robinson seized the initiative. Under withering enemy fire, he stormed out, charging point-first into the teeth of the Nazi defenses. With hand-grenades and sheer grit, he destroyed machine gun nests one by one. Each position taken meant fewer Americans dying that day.

He didn’t stop when others would’ve collapsed. When his unit was too wounded or demoralized to press on, Robinson grabbed the fallen standard bearer’s flag and carried it forward—a beacon in the mud and blood. His raw courage galvanized exhausted men, turning despair into fierce resolve.

He finished the assault by rescuing two wounded soldiers stranded within enemy lines. In close combat that day, Robinson’s single-handed offense disrupted the German defenses and secured a critical point.

Earning The Medal of Honor

For his valor, Robinson received the Medal of Honor—the nation’s highest military decoration—on March 27, 1946. His citation speaks in grim terms but some truths defy words:

"He distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action. While leading his platoon against heavy enemy fire, he initiated and executed a series of aggressive attacks that eliminated multiple enemy positions."

General orders immortalized his courage. But it wasn’t just the medal or the citations—it was the respect earned from brothers in arms who saw firsthand a man choose sacrifice over safety.

Private First Class Thomas E. Jones said, "Robinson was a damn rock. You wanted him beside you when hell broke loose."

Legacy Written in Sacrifice and Faith

Robinson’s story is carved into the history of those who fight—not for glory, but because the mission demands it. His actions echo the weighty truth from 2 Timothy 4:7:

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

War tore his body; faith steadied his spirit. His legacy reminds veterans and civilians alike that courage is forged in moments when the world falls apart, and a man chooses to stand tall anyway.

His scars, both seen and unseen, tell a raw story of endurance. For those trying to understand the cost of service, Robinson’s life offers a solemn example: true heroism demands the hardest choice—the selfless surrender of fear to fight for something greater than oneself.

The battlefield may be silent now, but the lessons live on. In the heart of every soldier, the lingering question is the same: What will you do when the ground burns beneath your feet? For James E. Robinson Jr., the answer was written in flesh and fire—move forward.

# Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II 2. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Hearing, James E. Robinson Jr. Medal of Honor Citation 3. Clay Blair Jr., Hitler’s U-Boat War: The Hunted 1942-1945 (context on European Theater combat) 4. Oral History Archive, U.S. Veterans Memorial Museum, Testimony of Thomas E. Jones, PFC