Master Sergeant Roderick W. Edmond

CITATION:

THEN-MASTER SGT. RODERICK “RODDIE” W. EDMONDS DISTINGUISHED
HIMSELF BY CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY AT THE RISK OF HIS
LIFE ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY WHILE SERVING AS THE SENIOR
NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN CHARGE OF MORE THAN 1,200 PRISONERS
OF WAR AT STALAG IX-A IN ZIEGENHAIN, GERMANY FROM JAN. 25 TO MARCH
30, 1945.

ON DEC. 19, 1944, DURING THE BATTLE OF THE BULGE, THE GERMANS

CAPTURED EDMONDS AND HIS UNIT. THEY WERE IMPRISONED AT STALAG IX-B
IN BAD ORB, GERMANY ON DEC. 25.

A MONTH LATER, AFTER BEING STARVED AND ABUSED, THE GERMANS
TRANSFERRED EDMONDS AND MORE THAN 1,200 OTHER NON-COMMISSIONED
OFFICERS TO STALAG IX-A IN ZIEGENHAIN, GERMANY. WITH THE SEPARATION
OF ALL OFFICERS AND ENLISTED, HE BECAME THE SENIOR NON-
COMMISSIONED OFFICER IN CHARGE OF THE AMERICAN BARRACKS.
THE DAY FOLLOWING THEIR ARRIVAL, ON THE EVENING OF JAN. 26, 1945, THE
GERMAN CAPTORS ANNOUNCED THAT ONLY AMERICAN PRISONERS WHO
WERE ALSO JEWISH WERE TO FALL OUT DURING THE MORNING ROLL CALL.
INDIVIDUALS FAILING TO COMPLY WOULD BE EXECUTED.
REALIZING HIS LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITY, MASTER SGT. EDMONDS
UNDERSTOOD THAT ANY SEGREGATION OF THE MORE THAN 200 AMERICAN
JEWISH PRISONERS FROM THE LARGER GROUP WOULD RESULT IN THEIR
PERSECUTION AND DEATH. HE ORDERED THAT ALL AMERICAN PRISONERS
FALL OUT IN FRONT OF THE BARRACKS THE FOLLOWING MORNING.
WHEN MORNING ARRIVED, ALL 1,200 AMERICAN PRISONERS ASSEMBLED AS
PLANNED. THE NAZI COMMANDANT WAS FURIOUS AND CALLED EDMONDS TO
THE FRONT. THE COMMANDANT ONCE AGAIN DEMANDED ONLY PRISONERS
WHO WERE JEWISH BE PRESENT. EDMONDS BOLDLY HELD HIS GROUND AND
RECOUNTED THE RIGHTS AFFORDED ALL PRISONERS UNDER THE GENEVA
CONVENTION.

ENRAGED, THE COMMANDANT PRESSED HIS PISTOL AGAINST EDMONDS’
FOREHEAD AND VIOLENTLY DEMANDED THAT ONLY JEWISH AMERICANS STEP
FORWARD OR HE WOULD BE SHOT IMMEDIATELY. WITHOUT REGARD FOR HIS
LIFE, EDMONDS FEARLESSLY STOOD HIS GROUND AND REFUSED, WARNING
THE COMMANDANT EXECUTING HIM WOULD LEAD TO PROSECUTION FOR WAR
CRIMES AFTER THE WAR. THE COMMANDANT LOWERED HIS WEAPON AND
RETURNED TO HIS QUARTERS.

MONTHS LATER, PRIOR TO THE ARRIVAL OF ALLIED FORCES, THE GERMAN
CAPTORS ANNOUNCED THAT ALL PRISONERS WOULD BE MOVED FURTHER
EAST. ARMED WITH A STOLEN RADIO TO MONITOR NEWS REPORTS, EDMONDS
ORDERED ALL THE AMERICAN PRISONERS NOT TO COOPERATE. HE
INSTRUCTED THE AMERICAN SENIOR LEADERS TO FORM THE MEN UP IN

FRONT OF THE BARRACKS AND WHEN THE TRANSPORTS ARRIVED, HE WOULD
GIVE THE ORDER TO BREAK RANKS AND RUSH BACK TO THE BARRACKS. HE
REPEATED THESE DEFIANT ACTIONS FOR SEVERAL HOURS AND THEN
ORDERED ALL THE MEN TO HIDE OR GET SICK BY EATING GRASS OR DIRT TO
DELAY AND CONFUSE THEIR CAPTORS.

DESPITE DELIBERATE THREATS OF EXECUTION AND ATTACKS FROM VICIOUS
DOGS, THE NAZI COMMANDANT APPEARED AFTER SEVERAL HOURS AND
ANNOUNCED THAT THE AMERICANS HAD WON AND COULD HAVE THE CAMP;
THE GERMANS AND ALL NON-AMERICAN PRISONERS WERE LEAVING. TWENTY-
FOUR HOURS LATER, AMERICAN FORCES FROM THE 3RD ARMY ARRIVED AT
THE CAMP.
EDMONDS’ ACTIONS ARE A TESTIMONY TO THE SPIRIT OF THE U.S. SOLDIER,
WHICH WERE LATER EMBODIED IN THE ARTICLES OF THE CODE OF THE U.S.
FIGHTING FORCE. EDMONDS' SELFLESS ACTS OF EXTRAORDINARY HEROISM,
GALLANTRY AND INTREPIDITY ABOVE AND BEYOND THE CALL OF DUTY ARE IN
KEEPING WITH THE HIGHEST TRADITIONS OF MILITARY SERVICE AND REFLECT
GREAT CREDIT UPON HIMSELF AND THE UNITED STATES ARMY.