By Jerry Klinger
WASHINGTON, D.C — It was nearly six years ago that the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation attended the historical marker dedication we sponsored in Knoxville, Tennessee, honoring Roddie Edmonds’ courage. Edmonds had saved the lives of over 200 Jewish POWs.
Edmonds was the highest-ranking non-commissioned officer in a German POW camp. Over 1275 American POWs, captured during the Battle of the Bulge, were held there.
In January 1945, the Germans announced that all Jewish POWs in the camp were to report the following morning. Sergeant Edmonds understood the intent of the Nazi order. The Jewish American POWs were being singled out for death.
That night, Roddie ordered all the American POWS to fall out with him the next morning. Even with the barrel of a pistol pressed between his eyes, Roddie refused to have the Jews fall out. He courageously looked into the eyes of the raging Nazi officer and said, “We are all Jews here.”
The Nazi backed down.
For his defense of Jewish servicemen at the POW camp, Edmonds, an Evangelical Christian, was recognized as a Righteous Among the Nations, Israel’s highest award for non-Jews who risked their own lives to save Jews during the Holocaust.
As I settled into my chair on Monday, March 2, in the surprisingly small East Room of the White House, I picked up the program of the coming ceremonial event. I was the guest of Pastor Chris Edmonds, Roddie’s son, for the posthumous presentation by President Trump of the Congressional Medal of Honor to Chris.
The program, embossed with the Presidential seal on the cover, contained the official Citation of what Roddie had done.
I read the Citation. My heart sank.
The Citation, in part, read: “On the evening of January 26, 1945, the Germans announced that only Jewish-American prisoners would fall out for roll call the following morning, at the threat of execution. Master Sergeant Edmonds quickly understood that segregation of more than 200 Jewish-American prisoners of war would likely result in their persecution and possibly death, so he directed his senior leaders to have all 1,200 American prisoners present themselves for roll call. The following morning, the Nazi Commandant became incredulous after realizing that so many Americans were standing in formation. Master Sergeant Edmonds bravely resisted his fury while also recounting the rights afforded to all prisoners under the Geneva Convention. Still enraged, the Commandant removed his pistol, pressed it hard against Master Sergeant Edmonds’ forehead between his eyes, and demanded that he order all Jewish American prisoners to step forward, or he would be shot. With unwavering courage at the risk of his life, above and beyond the call of duty, Master Sergeant Edmonds fearlessly held his ground, refusing to concede…
The Citation did not contain the fearless response to the Nazi when Roddie refused to identify the Jewish American POWs, “We are all Jews here.”
“We are all Jews here” meant much more than the blunt, defiant statement. It meant the commonality, the inclusion, the oneness of all Americans.
If Sergeant Edmonds had been ordered to have all Hindu-Americans or Catholic Americans fall out for the Nazi, he would have refused, even at the risk of his own life.
I put the program down. We all stood. The ceremonial musical announcing that the President was coming, began. President Trump strode to the podium.
He began with a few light comments, then turned serious. He explained the reasoning for the Iran war in a few simple, clear, and very understandable sentences.
Trump recognized he was being played by the Iranians. They were stalling for time. He stated that the Iranians already had ballistic missiles that could reach Europe. The Iranians were very actively developing nuclear warheads that would be attached to the missiles. They were very, very close to succeeding.
We learned later that the Iranians were working on eleven “dirty” bombs. Each warhead had the killing capacity of the Hiroshima Atomic Bomb that killed more than 70,000 Japanese civilians in 1945. Continued negotiation was an empty hope.
General Gordon R. Sullivan, the 32nd Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army (1991–1995), put it plainly, “Hope was not and is not a strategy.”
President Trump acted.
The President’s words turned to Master Sergeant Edmonds. He briefly paused to read the text of the Citation. Without equivocation, unlike the Citation’s text, Trump spoke to the crowded room. “The Nazis were not threatening execution if their orders were not obeyed. The Nazis were going to execute anyone who disobeyed.”
He continued: “The next morning, every American POW was assembled and awaited the Nazi Major. The Nazi was enraged,” President Trump said. He stood in front of Sergeant Edmonds, screaming louder and louder, “They cannot all be Jews.”
Edmonds stared back into “the raging face of evil and fearlessly said, ‘We are all Jews here.”
My heart soared. President Trump, despite the wording of the Citation told the true story of Roddie’s courage.
“We are all Jews here,” President Trump said, “as the barrel of the Luger pressed hard into his (Roddie’s) forehead.” We are all Americans here was the clear message.
If the Nazis wanted to kill the Jews, they would have to kill everyone. Edmonds told the Commandant the war would be over soon. He would be hunted down as a war criminal.
The Nazi lowered his gun and slunk away.
President Trump did the right thing. He read the Citation and did the right thing. Pastor Edmonds received the Congressional Medal of Honor on behalf of his father.
It had taken a long time to get here. Roddie had never told his family about what he did. Sergeant Edmonds’ heroism was found in a long-set-aside personal diary that Chris had found after his father had passed.
Sergeant Edmonds did the right thing. President Trump did the right thing.
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Jerry Klinger is President of the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation.