An East Tennessee World War II veteran who passed away more than three decades ago could soon posthumously receive one of the nation's highest honors.
U.S. Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) introduced a bill Tuesday to award the Congressional Gold Medal to U.S. Army Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds -- a lifelong Tennessean from Knoxville -- in recognition of his heroic actions during WWII.
Edmonds was both born and laid to rest in Knoxville. He passed away on Aug. 8, 1985.
As a non-commissioned officer in the U.S. Army, Edmonds was responsible for 1,275 U.S. service members who had been captured during the Battle of the Bulge and taken as prisoners of war in Germany.
Edmonds saved his fellow Jewish-American soldiers from being singled out at the prisoner camp under his command in an incredible show of solidarity.
A Nazi officer had asked him to identify and separate out the Jewish-American soldiers under his command. Edmonds disregarded the order, and when the officer shouted "They cannot all be Jews," Edmonds replied "We are all Jews here."
The officer had threatened Edmonds' life if he refused again, which Edmonds did refuse stating the Geneva Convention guidelines, at which point the officer turned away and left.
Edmonds' actions saved the lives of approximately 200 Jewish-American service members that day.
"His story reminds us of why we say and believe, ‘We are all Americans.’ I do not know of a more inspiring example of the American character than the heroism of this 26-year-old East Tennessee soldier,” Alexander said.
“Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds’ unwavering solidarity with his Jewish comrades exemplified his unending will to achieve justice for the persecuted,” Blackburn said. “He was a courageous hero who embodied the American spirit. This honor ensures Master Sgt. Edmonds will be remembered throughout history for risking his life to save the vulnerable.”
Edmonds' actions have never been officially recognized by the U.S. government, though Tennessee lawmakers have tried in the past to make that happen.
In 2016, former U.S. Rep. Jimmy Duncan from East Tennessee introduced a House bill known as the 'Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act,' which stalled in a subcommittee.
In 2017, Sen. Alexander and former Sen. Bob Corker introduced a similar bill to honor Edmonds with the Congressional Gold Medal.
The Congressional Gold Medal is the highest civilian medal awarded by Congress and one of the two highest awards in the U.S., equal with that of the Presidential Medal of Freedom.