KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – A South Knoxville native will soon be posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor.
Pastor Chris Edmonds said he received a call from President Trump that his father, Roddie Edmonds, would be getting the highest honor any soldier can receive for their bravery to save lives.
Born in South Knoxville in 1919, Roddie Edmonds joined the Army in 1941 and was deployed to the European Theater of Operations just days before the Battle of the Bulge, one of the most significant events of World War II.
During the battle, Edmonds was captured by German forces and became a prisoner of war. During the situation, he displayed remarkable leadership at Stalag IX-A, one of the major POW camps in Germany, and oversaw nearly 1,300 American prisoners of war.
According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Edmonds’ defining moment came on Jan. 27, 1945 when the camp’s commandant ordered him to identify Jewish-American soldiers for separate assembly. He defied the order, saying “we are all Jews here” and emphasized their shared identity as prisoners of war.
By doing this, Edmonds saved the lives of more than 200 Jewish-American soldiers and returned home after 100 days in captivity.
After World War II, Edmonds continued to serve his country during the Korean War before pursuing careers in journalism, mobile homes and television. He died in Knoxville in August 1985.
Decades after his death, Edmonds was posthumously recognized by Yad Vashem as “Righteous Among the Nations” in 2015, becoming the first U.S. soldier and one of few Americans to receive the honor for saving Jews during the Holocaust.
When Edmonds is awarded the Medal of Honor, he will be just one of about a dozen East Tennesseans to be bestowed with the honor.
