ARTICLES

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

On a frigid morning in a Nazi prisoner of war camp during World War II, two hundred Jewish American soldiers had their future rewritten by five simple words.

In the final months of the war, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds and twelve hundred soldiers of the 106th Infantry Division had been captured during the Battle of the Bulge. They were imprisoned at Stalag IX A in Ziegenhain, Germany. On January 27, 1945, the Nazi commander ordered Edmonds, the senior noncommissioned officer, to identify the Jewish soldiers in the formation.

The commander believed that about two hundred Jewish American soldiers were present. Edmonds knew what that meant. Jews separated from Allied prisoners were often sent to slave labor camps or executed.

Standing rigidly in the cold with his men, Edmonds faced the Nazi officer. The officer pressed a Luger pistol to his forehead and demanded that the Jewish soldiers step forward.

Edmonds calmly replied with five resolute words.

“We are all Jews here.”

Those words saved the lives of two hundred soldiers. Today, the descendants of those men number more than twenty thousand people.

On March 2, my husband Paul and I witnessed President Donald J. Trump award Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds the Medal of Honor posthumously in the White House East Room. Pentagon police transported guests on three buses for two Medal of Honor events. The first ceremony took place at the White House.

Reverend Chris Edmonds, the son of Roddie Edmonds and our longtime friend, invited us to attend this historic moment with his family and a small group of guests. That day, three noncommissioned officers were honored for extraordinary valor.

The evening before the ceremony, the families and invited guests gathered at the designated hotel. Military hosts welcomed everyone with a reception that included live jazz music and a generous buffet. Conversations with Pentagon personnel added to the sense of anticipation for the following day.

On the morning of March 2, security checks began at the hotel and continued at the White House. A military chamber orchestra greeted guests with ceremonial music as uniformed escorts guided us into the East Room.

Each guest received a program embossed with the seal of the United States. Inside was the official citation:

The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, March 3, 1863, has posthumously awarded in the name of Congress the Medal of Honor to Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds, United States Army, for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.

When the families of the honorees entered the room, everyone rose to their feet. Military escorts led them slowly down the center aisle to seats in the front row. Tears filled my eyes as the significance of the moment settled over the room.

President Trump had spent time privately with each family before the ceremony began. When the orchestra played Hail to the Chief and the president walked down the aisle toward the podium, the room fell silent. Army Chief Chaplain William Green Jr. delivered a moving invocation and benediction.

I have known Chris Edmonds since 2014, when he began advocating for his father to receive the Medal of Honor. His journey to uncover his father’s story began years after his father’s death. In 2015, Israel’s Yad Vashem recognized Roddie Edmonds as Righteous Among the Nations for saving Jewish lives during the Holocaust. In 2019, Chris and Douglas Century published the book No Surrender, which recounts those extraordinary events.

Several members of the president’s cabinet attended the ceremony, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Secretary of Veterans Affairs Doug Collins. Senior military leaders, generals, and enlisted service members were also present.

After the ceremony, guests were welcomed into another room in the White House for a reception. Long banquet tables were set with elegant arrangements of roses and generous servings of food. The atmosphere reflected both celebration and reverence.

Chris later shared that while investigating his father’s past, he sensed what he describes as a clear call from the Lord Jesus. He believes God led him to uncover the truth about his father’s courage.

The following day another motorcade escorted guests to Conmy Hall at Joint Base Myer Henderson Hall in Arlington for the Pentagon’s Hall of Heroes Induction Ceremony.

The program displayed the names of the three honorees:

• Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmonds of World War II
• Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis of Operation Enduring Freedom
• Command Sergeant Major Terry P. Richardson of the Vietnam War

The ceremony included remarks from senior leaders, the presentation of photographs and citations, the unveiling of the Hall of Heroes plaque, and the playing of the Army Song.

As the families spoke, the audience alternated between laughter and tears. Hearing Chris recount his father’s actions reminded everyone that courage often begins with a single decision.

On the night before the roll call in the prison camp, Edmonds instructed his men to stand together the next morning when the Nazis demanded that Jewish soldiers step forward.

Chris often reminds audiences that his father’s faith shaped that decision. As he explains in his speeches, the men stood united on behalf of their Jewish brothers.

Over the years Chris and his wife Regina have formed lasting friendships with some of the Jewish soldiers and their families. One of the most significant moments in Chris’s journey came in March 2013 when he met Sergeant Lester J. Tanner of New York City. Tanner’s father had been one of the soldiers saved in that camp.

After hearing the story, Tanner told Chris, “Your father deserves the Medal of Honor.”

Chris believes God’s providence guided that encounter.

Today he hopes to establish a nonprofit organization that will preserve his father’s legacy and inspire future generations to demonstrate courage and moral clarity. He also hopes that a feature film and additional books will bring this story to a wider audience.

Chris encourages people to join what he calls Roddie’s Regiment by doing what is right for God and humanity regardless of the risk or the cost.

The courage of Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds reminds us that moral conviction can change history. Five simple words spoken in a prison camp saved two hundred lives and shaped generations to come.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer.

Prayer Points:

• Pray for American and Israeli troops confronting threats from the Islamic regime.
• Pray for families whose loved ones have sacrificed their lives in service.
• Pray with gratitude for Medal of Honor families whose courage inspires future generations.
• Pray for wisdom and safety for President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide. In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.