Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds awarded the Medal of Honor

The Jewish Foundation for the Righteous joins the Edmonds family and the survivors and descendants of Stalag IXA in celebrating Master Sgt. Roderick "Roddie" Edmonds, who was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. The award was presented the week of March 2, 2026, at White House and Department of War programs.

U.S. Army Master Sgt. Edmonds saved roughly 200 Jewish American soldiers from certain death during the Second World War. He is the only U.S. soldier recognized by Yad Vashem as one of the Righteous Among the Nations.

As we have told in our documentary Footsteps of My Father, the 106th Infantry Division reached the Schnee Eifel area in eastern Belgium by December 10, 1944. The 422nd Regiment took up a forward position and was attacked as part of the German counteroffensive that became the Battle of the Bulge. The Germans captured more than 20,000 GIs. The non-commissioned officers were taken to Stalag IXA in Ziegenhain. There were 1,000 men in this group, and the highest-ranking NCO was Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds of Knoxville, Tennessee.

The commandant of Stalag IXA ordered all Jewish POWs to present themselves. Master Sgt. Edmonds ordered all 1,000 American POWs to stand in formation outside of their barracks. There were 200 Jewish GIs among the 1,000 American POWs. This act by Master Sgt. Edmonds saved their lives.

The JFR was one of the first organizations to recognize Edmonds' World War II heroism. In 2016, the Foundation honored him posthumously with its Yehi Or (Let There Be Light) Award. We later produced Footsteps of My Father, the longer documentary of his story, and a shorter film, Following the Footsteps of My Father.

JNS reported that Edmonds' son, Pastor Chris Edmonds, accepted the Medal of Honor on his father's behalf at the White House. Yad Vashem recognized Edmonds in Jerusalem in February 2015 as one of the Righteous Among the Nations. He was the fifth American, and the first U.S. soldier, so honored.

We are proud that this American soldier—already known to so many of our Lerner Fellows through our films and programs—has now received his nation's highest military decoration.

Read the JNS report. Learn more and watch Footsteps of My Father on our documentary page.