Tennessee Honors Roddie Edmonds, the Soldier Who Declared, “We Are All Jews Here”

March 30, 2026 - A Tennessee Senate joint resolution honors the extraordinary courage of Knoxville native Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, who risked his life as a prisoner of war to protect more than 200 Jewish-American soldiers from the Nazis. When ordered to identify the Jewish prisoners under his command, Edmonds instead directed all 1,200 Americans to stand together and boldly declared, “We are all Jews here.” His moral courage saved lives and ultimately earned him recognition as Righteous Among the Nations and, posthumously, the Medal of Honor. You can learn more about this brave American here: https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/edmonds/

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