Roddie Edmonds

Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds (1919–1985) of the 422nd Infantry Regiment in the United States Armed Forces was the fifth American and the first American serviceman from World War II to be recognized as Righteous Among the Nations for his rescuing Jewish servicemen at the Stalag IXA POW Camp in Germany.

Roderick W. "Roddie" Edmonds was born in 1919 in South Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from Knoxville High in 1938. He was one of four brothers, Thomas "Shake" Edmonds Jr., Leon Edmonds, and Robert Edmonds.

"…Edmonds seemed like an ordinary American soldier, but he had an extraordinary sense of responsibility and dedication to his fellow human beings," Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev.

Edmonds was captured by Nazi forces on 19 December 1944 and sent to a prison camp. As the senior noncommissioned officer (Master Sergeant), Edmonds was responsible for the camp's 1,275 American POWs.

The camp commandant ordered Edmonds to tell only the Jewish-American soldiers to present themselves at the next morning's assembly so they could be separated from the other prisoners. Instead, Edmonds ordered all 1,275 to assemble outside their barracks. The German commandant rushed up to Edmonds in a fury, placed his pistol against Edmonds' head and demanded that he identify the Jewish soldiers under his command. Instead, Edmonds responded "We are all Jews here," and threatened to have the commandant investigated and prosecuted for war crimes after the conflict ended since the Geneva Conventions required prisoners to give only their name, rank, and serial number — religion was not required — should any of Edmonds' men be harmed. The commandant backed down. Edmonds' actions are credited with saving up to 200 Jewish-American soldiers from nearly certain death.

Edmonds survived 100 days of captivity, and returned home after the war, but never told his family of his actions.

His wife gave his son, Baptist Rev. Chris Edmonds, a couple of the diaries his father had kept while in the POW camp. Rev. Edmonds began researching his story, locating several of the Jewish soldiers his father saved, who provided witness statements to Yad Vashem. Among the Jewish-American POW servicemen who were saved was Sonny Fox, American television host and executive, who witnessed, and in interviews speaks of, Edmonds' heroic act. Rev. Edmonds is currently seeking to have his father's bravery recognized with the Medal of Honor.

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