Roddie Edmonds's service was the subject of a speech by President Barack Obama at the Israeli Embassy in Washington.
13 Facts About Roddie Edmonds
1.
2.
Roderick W "Roddie" Edmonds was born in 1919 in South Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from Knoxville High in 1938.
3.
Roddie Edmonds grew up attending a Methodist church in South Knoxville.
4.
Roddie Edmonds was married three times, the first two marriages ending in divorce: Marie Solomon ; Pauline Flora Surratt ; Mary Ann Watson, to whom he was married at the time of his death.
5.
Roddie Edmonds had two sons: Kim Michael and Christopher W Edmonds.
6.
At age 22, Roddie Edmonds enlisted in the Army on March 17,1941, at Fort Oglethorpe in Georgia.
7.
Roddie Edmonds' actions are credited with saving up to 300 Jewish-American soldiers from possible death.
8.
Roddie Edmonds never told his family of the event at the POW camp.
9.
Roddie Edmonds was again recruited to service during the Korean War.
10.
Roddie Edmonds died in 1985, never having received any official recognition, citation or medal for his defense of the Jewish POWs.
11.
Roddie Edmonds located several of the Jewish soldiers his father saved, who provided witness statements to Yad Vashem.
12.
Chris Roddie Edmonds received the Righteous medal and certificate of honor from Israeli Ambassador Ron Dermer and Yad Vashem Council Chairman Rabbi Lau on his father's behalf at the ceremony.
13.
Chris Roddie Edmonds has sought to have his father's bravery recognized with the Medal of Honor.