James E. Robinson Jr. WWII Medal of Honor Hero in Haaren

Jan 22 , 2026

James E. Robinson Jr. WWII Medal of Honor Hero in Haaren

James E. Robinson Jr. caught hell on a patch of European mud nobody wanted to touch. Bullets tore the air like thunder. Men dropped all around him, but Robinson moved forward—always forward. He didn’t just survive; he dragged others with him, breaking a line meant to hold fast.

That’s how legends are born.

Background & Faith

Born in 1918, James E. Robinson Jr. grew up in a world carved by Depression and hardened by strife. Ohio bred grit, and he took to it like iron to the forge. Before the war, he walked a steady path—worked the land, fixed machines, trusted in the quiet strength of faith.

A Methodist preacher’s son, he was raised on scripture, discipline, and an unshakable code of honor. That code carried him, even when the orders outdid the terror.

His compass wasn’t just a uniform; it was something deeper. Psalm 23 whispered in his heart—“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil.”

The Battle That Defined Him

October 29, 1944. Somewhere near Haaren, Germany. The 350th Infantry Regiment, 88th Infantry Division, was locked in a vicious fight to crack the Siegfried Line—the fortress wall guarding the Third Reich. The enemy’s artillery and machine guns carved the hillside with fury.

Robinson was a sergeant then, a squad leader with fight in his teeth and fire in his eyes. His platoon advanced, but a counterattack hit like a hammer. Dozens fell. The line wavered.

When the unit faltered, Robinson threw himself into the breach. Wounded but relentless, he led his men alone against a nest of enemy machine-gun positions. His official Medal of Honor citation details how he attacked three separate nests, destroying each with grenades and rifle fire. Under crushing fire, he moved like a ghost of vengeance—insisting on securing the flank, saving countless American lives.

In the hard darkness, he rallied his broken team. Twice he exposed himself deliberately to enemy fire to draw attention away from wounded soldiers. His fury and faith made him a beacon of hope amid carnage.

“Without hesitation,” the citation reads, “he continued to lead his men forward, knowing that failure meant death for many.”

Recognition

For his valor, James E. Robinson Jr. earned the Medal of Honor—awarded by President Harry Truman in early 1946. It wasn’t just a medal; it was a testament to raw courage under fire.

General Mark W. Clark, commander of the Fifth Army, praised Robinson’s actions as “an example of selfless devotion to duty,” underscoring how such bravery tipped the scales in a brutal campaign. Fellow soldiers remember him as a man who never sought glory, only a way out of hell for his brothers in arms.

The citation reads in part:

“Sergeant Robinson’s aggressive leadership and fearless actions were directly responsible for the success of his unit’s mission and saved numerous lives.”[1]

Legacy & Lessons

Robinson’s story is carved deep into the meaning of sacrifice. He didn’t wear valor for vanity. He fought for the man next to him, for the mission, for a world aching to be free from tyranny’s chokehold.

Sacrifice isn’t just dying; it’s the fierce choice to live for others. That’s the legacy Robinson leaves behind. His scars—both seen and unseen—speak to the cost of freedom. His faith carried him through hell, and his example endures.

“Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.” — John 15:13

He carried that love, compressing fear into steel and chaos into order. Combat veterans walk a road few can understand, but men like Robinson trace a path—a path defined by courage tempered with compassion, by wounds that heal into wisdom.

We honor James E. Robinson Jr. not just for what he did on one fateful day but for what he represents: the eternal fight to protect, persevere, and redeem.

Beneath the mud and fire, a soldier’s heart beats with a sacred rhythm. That is the true inheritance of combat, and it is ours to keep.

Sources

1. U.S. Army Center of Military History, “Medal of Honor Recipients: World War II” 2. Fitzsimons, Bernard, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of 20th Century Weapons and Warfare (1978) 3. Truman Library Archives, “Medal of Honor Award Ceremony, 1946”