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Confronting the Nazis, Roddie Edmonds saved the lives of over 200 U.S. Jewish soldiers.
The Battle of the Bulge was the bloodiest U.S. conflict of World War ll, and among the survivors was Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds and 1,292 American prisoners of war, under his command.
Sgt. Edmonds and his men were held in a Nazi POW camp deep inside Germany.
On Jan. 27, 1945, at the morning roll call, the camp's commandant ordered 25-year-old Sgt. Edmonds to identify all Jewish-American soldiers.
Knowing they would die, Sgt. Edmonds defied the order, stating firmly, "We are all Jews here."
Furious, camp commandant Siegmann screamed. "They cannot all be Jews!"
Siegmann then pressed his gun barrel firmly on Sgt. Edmonds' forehead, and snarled, "Order the Jews to step forward...or I will shoot you right now."
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Summoning his courage, Sgt. Edmonds replied, "According to the Geneva Convention, we only have to give our name, rank, and serial number. If you shoot me, you will have to shoot all of us. And after the war, you will be tried for war crimes."
The Germans knew the Allies were closing in, and the war would soon be ending. And Nazis who murdered U.S. POWs would face their own execution.
In frustration, Siegmann holstered his pistol and stormed off. Over 200 Jewish soldiers survived because Sgt. Edmonds and the rest of their fellow soldiers stood with them.
After World War ll, Sgt. Edmonds returned home to Tennessee, got married, raised a family, and lived a quiet life, never telling anyone about his heroics.
He passed away in 1985, and his son Chris, a Baptist Minister, later learned the full story, in part by speaking with several survivors from that long ago 1945 day.
His son Chris stands by a plaque that honors his father in Knoxville TN. Photo: cbnisrael.org
With Chris's support, and that of President Barack Obama, in 2015, Sgt. Roddie Edmonds was recognized in Israel as "Righteous Among the Nations," the first and only American soldier to receive that prestigious honor.
It recognizes the non-Jews who out of altruism, risked their lives to save Jews from being killed by Nazi Germany during The Holocaust. It is a statement of gratitude from Jews everywhere.
In March, 2026, Sgt. Edmonds was bestowed The Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration awarded by the United States government!
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