HOME | DD

Description

Roddie Edmonds (1919 – 1985)

On 19 December 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge, he was taken as a Prisoner of War by the Germans and sent to the Stalag IXA camp near Ziegenhain, Germany. While there he was the senior noncommissioned officer and so was responsible for 1,275 other American prisoners.

One day the guards tried to separate the Jewish POWs from the rest by telling them to step forward. Edmonds told all the soldiers to step forward, saying “We are all Jewish”. Even when threatened, he refused to give any names of Jewish soldiers. The Nazi German camp commander, became angry and put a pistol to Roddie's head telling him he would shoot him unless he cooperated. He then said, “If you shoot, you'll have to shoot all of us, and after the war you will be tried for war crimes”.

Because of his actions, the lives of about 200 servicemen were likely saved.

Roddie never told his wife or children about his actions.

9 x 12 inch watercolor

Description

Roddie Edmonds (1919 – 1985)

On 19 December 1944, at the Battle of the Bulge, he was taken as a Prisoner of War by the Germans and sent to the Stalag IXA camp near Ziegenhain, Germany. While there he was the senior noncommissioned officer and so was responsible for 1,275 other American prisoners.

One day the guards tried to separate the Jewish POWs from the rest by telling them to step forward. Edmonds told all the soldiers to step forward, saying “We are all Jewish”. Even when threatened, he refused to give any names of Jewish soldiers. The Nazi German camp commander, became angry and put a pistol to Roddie's head telling him he would shoot him unless he cooperated. He then said, “If you shoot, you'll have to shoot all of us, and after the war you will be tried for war crimes”.

Because of his actions, the lives of about 200 servicemen were likely saved.

Roddie never told his wife or children about his actions.

9 x 12 inch watercolor