I am especially encouraged by the fact that Fox, the writer, is British. If ever a country needed moral leadership like his, it is Great Britain of today.
Where did your grandfather serve? Was your grandmother British? My dad was a Navy SeaBee in the Pacific, my uncles were in Europe in the Air Force and Army. One was shot down and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. I live in Canada these days, but still pay a lot of attention to WWII history. I remembered his famous line but had forgotten the exact circumstances. I am surprised at how long it took to recognize him as a Righteous Among the Nations, but thrilled to learn he is about to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Thank you for this much-deserved tribute.
This is a powerful and deeply moving essay. Thank you for sharing it. Roddie Edmonds’ moral courage is both inspiring and urgently relevant, reminding us what it truly means to stand together.
As a former Army Infantry SSG I am gratified to read that MSG Edmonds will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions at Stalag IX-A. Considering the Nazis were becoming desperate near the end of the war his refusal to pick out the Jewish soldiers took real guts and he had big brass ones.
"Meanwhile, Iran’s regime has aided Hamas for decades, including materially and financially" which means to me that the regime of the Mad Mullahs must GO at the soonest opportunity.
Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds’ son is a good friend of mine. Rev. Chris Edmonds wrote an inspiring story about his dad’s bravery while imprisoned in a Nazi camp right after the Battle of the Bulge. The book is called No Surrender.
His family learned about his acts of bravery after he passed on some years ago. The way Sgt. Edmonds’ story was finally discovered has God’s fingerprints all over it.
My guess is, the prisoners met and agreed to a position of total solidarity with their Jewish buddies. Edmonds as spokesman made the public declaration. With a gun to his head, he didn't waver.
The whole group of prisoners were heroes in my book - all of them.
Great Story and the German commandant saved his own skin because in addition to the International Nurnburg Trials that we all are familiar with, there were dozens of others set up by America where many Germans were found guilty and executed at levels below the Nazi leadership class. We did the same with Japanese POW camp leaders.
It was so easy to hide my Judaism. With an Italian last name—my husband converted to Judaism many years ago—that’s what I did. Wore no religious jewelry. Then came the Tree of Life shootings. I live in a tiny rural place and I knew in my heart that I was the only person in the surrounding counties who grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Tree of Life religious school. So I came forward and volunteered to give the keynote speech at Bloomsburg’s memorial service. Scared? You bet . But I felt I had a duty to Tree of Life to reveal who I was. I am not proud of this. It was duty to the dead and the traumatized Jews of Tree of Life.
It's pretty poignant that a non-Jew here is the one to reference Jewish people-hood, and the extended people-hood of all humanity - with a few simple words. And he is not doing this standing on one foot - he is facing a gun.
Thank you Andrew Fox for sharing this story of moral clarity and for setting the same example yourself 🙏
I am especially encouraged by the fact that Fox, the writer, is British. If ever a country needed moral leadership like his, it is Great Britain of today.
Thank you - but I'll let you in a secret and that's that my grandfather was also a US Army Master Sergeant in WW2.
Where did your grandfather serve? Was your grandmother British? My dad was a Navy SeaBee in the Pacific, my uncles were in Europe in the Air Force and Army. One was shot down and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp. I live in Canada these days, but still pay a lot of attention to WWII history. I remembered his famous line but had forgotten the exact circumstances. I am surprised at how long it took to recognize him as a Righteous Among the Nations, but thrilled to learn he is about to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Thank you for this much-deserved tribute.
We need more Roddie Edmonds today.
Tbe great Spielberg should make a movie about Roddie Edmonds. And dare Hollywood to ignore it.
This is a powerful and deeply moving essay. Thank you for sharing it. Roddie Edmonds’ moral courage is both inspiring and urgently relevant, reminding us what it truly means to stand together.
As a former Army Infantry SSG I am gratified to read that MSG Edmonds will receive the Medal of Honor for his actions at Stalag IX-A. Considering the Nazis were becoming desperate near the end of the war his refusal to pick out the Jewish soldiers took real guts and he had big brass ones.
"Meanwhile, Iran’s regime has aided Hamas for decades, including materially and financially" which means to me that the regime of the Mad Mullahs must GO at the soonest opportunity.
Master Sgt. Roddie Edmonds’ son is a good friend of mine. Rev. Chris Edmonds wrote an inspiring story about his dad’s bravery while imprisoned in a Nazi camp right after the Battle of the Bulge. The book is called No Surrender.
His family learned about his acts of bravery after he passed on some years ago. The way Sgt. Edmonds’ story was finally discovered has God’s fingerprints all over it.
I wrote that article. Please send his family the greatest regards of a British airborne soldier and grandson of a fellow WW2 US Army master sergeant.
My guess is, the prisoners met and agreed to a position of total solidarity with their Jewish buddies. Edmonds as spokesman made the public declaration. With a gun to his head, he didn't waver.
The whole group of prisoners were heroes in my book - all of them.
Great Story and the German commandant saved his own skin because in addition to the International Nurnburg Trials that we all are familiar with, there were dozens of others set up by America where many Germans were found guilty and executed at levels below the Nazi leadership class. We did the same with Japanese POW camp leaders.
It was so easy to hide my Judaism. With an Italian last name—my husband converted to Judaism many years ago—that’s what I did. Wore no religious jewelry. Then came the Tree of Life shootings. I live in a tiny rural place and I knew in my heart that I was the only person in the surrounding counties who grew up in Pittsburgh and attended Tree of Life religious school. So I came forward and volunteered to give the keynote speech at Bloomsburg’s memorial service. Scared? You bet . But I felt I had a duty to Tree of Life to reveal who I was. I am not proud of this. It was duty to the dead and the traumatized Jews of Tree of Life.
Thank you again. This story cannot be repeated enough times. True heroism. What moral dwarves we see in leadership today.
"Thank you again. This story cannot be repeated enough times. True heroism. What moral dwarves we see in leadership today."
Except Donald Trump.
But you are still demented.
If you say so, Mohammed.
Hahahahahahahahaha
It's pretty poignant that a non-Jew here is the one to reference Jewish people-hood, and the extended people-hood of all humanity - with a few simple words. And he is not doing this standing on one foot - he is facing a gun.