U.S. Senators Marsha Blackburn and Brian Schatz have introduced a bill to award the Congressional Gold Medal posthumously to Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds. This legislation, presented on International Holocaust Remembrance Day, seeks to honor Edmonds for his heroic actions during World War II.
Senator Blackburn stated, “Roddie Edmonds’ bravery saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish-American soldiers during World War II, and his valor deserves official commendation.” She highlighted Edmonds’ courage in risking his life to protect fellow soldiers from Nazi persecution. Senator Schatz added, “Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds showed incredible courage to stand up for what’s right,” emphasizing the importance of solidarity against hate.
In 1944, during the Battle of the Bulge, Edmonds was captured by Nazi forces and taken to Stalag IX-A in Germany. As a senior noncommissioned officer responsible for over 1,200 men, he defied orders to separate Jewish-American soldiers from others. When confronted by a German officer with a gun pointed at him, Edmonds declared, “We are all Jews here,” refusing to disclose their identities.
Edmonds’ actions saved approximately 200 Jewish-American soldiers and were later recognized by Yad Vashem as “Righteous Among the Nations.” He remains one of only five Americans and the first U.S. Armed Forces member honored with this distinction.
The proposed legislation is endorsed by several figures including Pastor Chris Edmonds, Project Legacy founder Ezra Friedlander, and author Richard Hurowitz. Pastor Chris Edmonds remarked on his father’s moral courage as timeless and transformative. Friedlander emphasized the medal’s significance amidst rising Holocaust denial and antisemitism. Hurowitz praised Edmonds as an American hero whose story serves as an object lesson for those seeking peace.
