Roddie Edmonds
American infantryman and WWII POW honored as Righteous Among the Nations
Roderick "Roddie" Waring Edmonds (August 20, 1919 – August 8, 1985),[1] was a U.S. Army infantryman renowned for his courageous stand during World War II. As the highest-ranking American non-commissioned officer captured by German forces in December 1944, Edmonds was interned at Stalag IX-A,[2] a prisoner-of-war camp in Ziegenhain, Germany. On January 27, 1945, Edmonds refused an order by German officers to identify Jewish-American soldiers, possibly for separate execution, instead defiantly declaring that "We are all Jews here." The captors relented, sparing the lives of up to 300 Jewish-American prisoners of war.[3][4] In risking his own life to save his Jewish comrades, Edmonds' actions exemplified profound moral courage and leadership. He was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem as "Righteous Among the Nations," the only American serviceman to receive this honor.[5] Edmonds' actions are widely recognized as sincere, highlighting the enduring power of individual conscience in the face of structural evil.[6] Barack Obama praised Edmonds during a speech in 2016 at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C..[4]
Contents
Early life and education
Roderick W. "Roddie" Edmonds was born in 1919 in South Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from Knoxville High in 1938. Some sources, including the 1930 Federal census and the posthumous act awarding him the Congressional Gold Medal, spell his given name "Rodrick". He had three brothers: Thomas "Shake" Edmonds Jr., Leon Edmonds, and Robert Edmonds.[6] He was married three times and had two sons: Kim Michael and Christopher W. Edmonds.[7]
Military career
World War II
At age 22, Edmonds enlisted in the Army on March 17, 1941, at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia. Edmonds arrived in the European Theater of Operations in December 1944 with the 106th Infantry Division, arriving only five days before Germany launched the Battle of the Bulge. During the battle much of the division was overrun and on December 19, 1944, Edmonds was captured and sent to Stalag IX-B. Shortly thereafter he was transferred to Stalag IX-A near Ziegenhain, Germany. As the highest ranking soldier at the camp, Master Sergeant Edmonds became responsible for the camp's 1,275 American POWs.[6] On January 27, 1945 the German commandant ordered Edmonds to have all Jewish-American soldiers identify themselves the following morning.[1] Instead, Edmonds ordered all 1,275 prisoners to assemble. When the commandant demanded that Edmonds identify the Jewish soldiers, Edmonds replied: "We are all Jews here." He also warned the commandant that the Geneva Conventions required prisoners to give only name, rank, and serial number. The commandant backed down.[1] Edmonds' actions are credited with saving up to 300 Jewish-American soldiers.[1]
Post-war life
After returning from captivity Edmonds never spoke publicly about the incident. He was later called to serve during the Korean War, serving with the 1st Cavalry Division. After military service he worked for The Knoxville Journal and later in sales in the mobile home and cable television industries. He died in 1985.[1]
Recognition and legacy
In 2015 Yad Vashem recognized Edmonds as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.
The ceremony was held at the Israeli Embassy in Washington, D.C. in January 2016.[4] Chris Edmonds later began a campaign to have his father's heroism recognized with the Medal of Honor.
Medal of Honor
It was revealed on February 16, 2026 that President Donald Trump had notified Edmonds' son Chris that he would posthumously award Edmonds the Medal of Honor for his actions as a POW during World War II.[8] The medal was awarded by President Trump on March 2, 2026.[9]
See also
Notes
The "Righteous Among the Nations" honor is an award presented to non-Jewish people by Israel for people that risked their lives to protect Jewish people during the Holocaust.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Liebermann, Oren (December 21, 2015). 'We are all Jews': World War II soldier saved POWs. CNN.
- ↑ Not to be confused with Stalag XI-A.
- ↑ Bartrop, Paul R. (2017). "Roddie Edmonds", The Holocaust: An Encyclopedia and Document Collection. Santa Barbara, California: ABC-CLIO, 181 f. ISBN 978-1-4408-4084-5. OCLC 967457463.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Julie Hirschfeld Davis, "Saying 'We Are All Jews,' Obama Honors Americans' Lifesaving Efforts in Holocaust", January 27, 2017, New York Times
- ↑ "Trump posthumously awards WWII hero Roddie Edmonds with Medal of Honor", The Jerusalem Post, March 10, 2025.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "US Soldier Honored Posthumously For Protecting Jewish POWs In 1945", December 2, 2015, National Public Radio
- ↑ Obituary (August 9, 1985). Knoxville News Sentinel.
- ↑ "WWII hero who defied Nazis to save Jewish troops to receive Medal of Honor", JNS, February 27, 2026.
- ↑ "Roddie Edmonds awarded posthumous Medal of Honor for saving Jewish POWs during WWII", JNS, March 2, 2026.
External links
- "Roddie Edmonds" website
- Yad Vashem biography
- Footsteps of My Father, documentary by the Jewish Foundation for the Righteous
