Sens. Blackburn, Schatz push for congressional medal for WWII officer who saved Jewish troops
The honor would go to Master Sgt. Roderick “Roddie” Edmonds, an Army officer who helped save the lives of Jewish-American POWS during World War II

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Congressional Gold Medals are displayed ahead of a ceremony on December 06, 2022 in Washington, DC.
In honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and Brian Schatz (D-HI) reintroduced legislation seeking to grant a Congressional Gold Medal, Congress’ highest honor, to Master Sgt. Roderick “Roddie” Edmonds, an Army officer who helped save the lives of captured Jewish soldiers during World War II.
The legislation recounts a story of when Edmonds was captured by Nazi forces during the Battle of the Bulge and detained in a POW camp, where he was the senior non-commissioned officer responsible for nearly 1,300 U.S. forces in the camp.
Nazi forces demanded that Edmonds order all Jewish-American soldiers to separate themselves from the other U.S. forces — with the expectation that they would be sent to labor camps or killed. Edmonds instead directed all 1,292 American troops to identify themselves as Jewish, and refused to break even when a Nazi officer held a gun to his head.
According to the resolution, Edmonds’ actions saved the lives of around 200 Jewish soldiers. He was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations, the only member of the U.S. armed forces and only one of five Americans recognized as such. Edmonds died in 1985, 40 years ago this year.
“Roddie Edmonds’ bravery saved the lives of hundreds of Jewish-American soldiers during World War II and his valor deserves official commendation,” Blackburn said in a statement. “Today on Holocaust Remembrance Day, we recognize the tremendous courage of my fellow Tennessean who risked his life to protect his fellow countrymen from Nazi atrocities.”
Schatz said in a statement that “Edmonds showed incredible courage to stand up for what’s right. At a time of rising anti-Semitism, this bill honoring his bravery reminds us of the power of standing together in solidarity against hate — even in the toughest moments.”
The effort to grant Edmonds a Congressional Gold Medal has been ongoing for several years. In the previous congressional session, the legislation garnered 15 sponsors in the Senate and 39 in the House. Legislation granting gold medals must be sponsored by two-thirds of the House and Senate before it can advance to a floor vote.