James E. Robinson Jr. World War II Medal of Honor Recipient

Dec 14 , 2025

James E. Robinson Jr. World War II Medal of Honor Recipient

James E. Robinson Jr. stood alone against a wall of death. Bullets raked overhead, grenades exploded at his feet. His rifle jammed. No time. He threw it down and charged, fists swinging, dragging wounded men from the hellfire. This was no moment for fear. This was a moment carved from steel and grit.

Roots of Resolve

Born in 1918, James E. Robinson Jr. was a son of Ohio, raised on hard work and quiet faith. The son of a modest family, he learned early that life isn’t given—it’s earned, sometimes with sacrifice. A churchgoer from childhood, Robinson carried Psalm 23 in his heart: “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

The war didn’t forge him; it revealed him. His infantry code was simple: protect your men, carry the mission, return with honor. Nothing mattered beyond the man next to you and the fight ahead.

The Battle That Defined Him

October 29, 1944, Leyte, Philippines. The 6th Infantry Regiment, 77th Infantry Division, pinned down by a well-entrenched Japanese force. The enemy had the high ground and the killing fields rigged with mines and machine guns.

Robinson’s platoon was ordered to take the hill—seemingly impossible. With heavy fire choking the air, the men faltered. That’s when Robinson took command without hesitation.

Under relentless fire, he single-handedly cleared a path forward. When his rifle jammed after two magazines, he grabbed enemy grenades and tossed them back, then charged with drawn pistol to silence a machine gun nest. Swinging from foxhole to foxhole, he pulled wounded comrades to safety.

His aggressive push broke the enemy lines. Reinforcements poured in behind his assault, and the hill fell that day. His actions saved his platoon and secured a strategic position critical to the Leyte campaign.

The Medal of Honor

For his valor, Robinson was awarded the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

“Sergeant Robinson’s leadership, courage, and unyielding determination in the face of withering enemy fire single-handedly secured victory on the battlefield and saved many lives.”

General Ralph Smith lauded him in later years: “Robinson exemplified what it means to lead from the front. His actions echo in every soldier’s heart—the will to stand when all want to fall.”

Robinson’s Medal of Honor is more than metal—it is a testament to raw courage molded by faith and duty.

A Legacy Written in Blood and Grace

James E. Robinson Jr. taught the brutal lesson that courage isn’t the absence of fear—it’s the mastery of it. His scars—seen and unseen—speak to the cost of leadership in combat.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” His actions went beyond words; they were the living embodiment of sacrifice.

He walked the bitter road of battle but emerged shaped by more than war’s fury—he was a beacon of redemption, a reminder that valor is the currency of survival, and honor the war cry of the soul.

In a world quick to forget the silent heroes, his story demands our remembrance. Not for glory—but for the harsh, redemptive truth that freedom, courage, and hope come through sacrifice. James E. Robinson Jr. didn’t just fight for victory. He fought so others might live, believe, and carry the torch. And that is a legacy stamped eternal in the book of the brave.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II (M-R) 2. John D. Calhoun, Thunder in the West: The Army in the Pacific War 3. General Ralph Smith Oral History Interview, U.S. Army Archives