For the fifth time, federal legislators from Tennessee introduced legislation seeking a congressional gold medal for posthumous presentation to recognize U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds for acts of valor during World War II to save the lives of more than 200 Jewish members of the Armed Forces.

None of the bills made it out of committee in the respective chambers to receive consideration beyond introduction.

The most recent bill, S.262, was introduced Jan. 27, 2025, by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior U.S. senator.

Previous bills introduced seeking a gold medal for Edmonds include: S. 352, introduced Feb. 13, 2017, by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee; H.R. 1142, introduced Feb. 16, 2017, by Rep. John J. Duncan, R-Tennessee; S. 642 introduced March 4, 2019, by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee; H.R. 1908 on March 27, 2019, by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee.

Burchett reintroduced legislation as H.R. 2567 on April 15, 2021, while on the same date, Blackburn introduced S. 1134.

H.R. 2800, was introduced by Burchett on April 24, 2023, while Blackburn introduced S. 1230 in the Senate on April 20, 2023.

Edmonds was assigned to the Army’s 106th Infantry Division, 422nd Infantry Regiment. His unit  arrived in Germany in December 1944, five days before the historic Battle of the Bulge.

On Dec. 19, 1944, Edmonds was captured by German troops. Soon thereafter, Edmonds was transferred to Stalag IX-A, a prisoner-of-war camp near Ziegenhain, Germany, where he became the senior ranked non-commissioned officer.

On Jan. 27, 1945, the camp’s commandant ordered Edmonds to single out the Jewish soldiers among the 1,275 POWs at the camp, but he defied the order.

Edmonds told the commandant that all of the soldiers were Jews and that if he shot and killed one he’d have to shoot all of the camp’s inhabitants. Under the Geneva Conventions, POWs were required only to state their name, rank, and serial number. Religion was not a requirement.

Edmonds served as a POW for 100 days before the camp was liberated and he returned home.

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For the fifth time, federal legislators from Tennessee introduced legislation seeking a congressional gold medal for posthumous presentation to recognize U.S. Army Master Sgt. Roderick W. Edmonds for acts of valor during World War II to save the lives of more than 200 Jewish members of the Armed Forces.

None of the bills made it out of committee in the respective chambers to receive consideration beyond introduction.

The most recent bill, S.262, was introduced Jan. 27, 2025, by Sen. Marsha Blackburn, Tennessee’s senior U.S. senator.

Previous bills introduced seeking a gold medal for Edmonds include: S. 352, introduced Feb. 13, 2017, by Sen. Bob Corker, R-Tennessee; H.R. 1142, introduced Feb. 16, 2017, by Rep. John J. Duncan, R-Tennessee; S. 642 introduced March 4, 2019, by Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee; H.R. 1908 on March 27, 2019, by Rep. Tim Burchett, R-Tennessee.

Burchett reintroduced legislation as H.R. 2567 on April 15, 2021, while on the same date, Blackburn introduced S. 1134.

H.R. 2800, was introduced by Burchett on April 24, 2023, while Blackburn introduced S. 1230 in the Senate on April 20, 2023.

Edmonds was assigned to the Army’s 106th Infantry Division, 422nd Infantry Regiment. His unit  arrived in Germany in December 1944, five days before the historic Battle of the Bulge.

On Dec. 19, 1944, Edmonds was captured by German troops. Soon thereafter, Edmonds was transferred to Stalag IX-A, a prisoner-of-war camp near Ziegenhain, Germany, where he became the senior ranked non-commissioned officer.

On Jan. 27, 1945, the camp’s commandant ordered Edmonds to single out the Jewish soldiers among the 1,275 POWs at the camp, but he defied the order.

Edmonds told the commandant that all of the soldiers were Jews and that if he shot and killed one he’d have to shoot all of the camp’s inhabitants. Under the Geneva Conventions, POWs were required only to state their name, rank, and serial number. Religion was not a requirement.

Edmonds served as a POW for 100 days before the camp was liberated and he returned home.

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Whether you’re a current subscriber or new, you can take advantage of the best offers on magazine subscriptions available in digital, print or both! Whether you want your issue every week or every month, there’s a subscription to meet your needs.