"We Are All Jews": The Untold Heroism of POW Roddie Edmonds - Part 1"We Are All Jews": The Untold Heroism of POW Roddie Edmonds - Part 1
Crossroads with Jenny Bushkell
Pastor Chris Edmonds shares how a simple diary and his daughters’ school projects led him to uncover his father Roddie’s courageous stand for Jewish POWs during the Second World War. The conversation weaves together faith, family legacy, and the idea that an ordinary life lived for Christ can become heroic.
24:36•24 Aug 2026
Courage Under Fire: The Hidden Heroism of POW Roddie Edmonds
Episode Overview
- An old diary with sparse entries sparked Chris Edmonds’ search to understand his father’s Second World War experiences.
- Former POWs described Roddie Edmonds as a "real Christian" who trained them firmly yet treated them with deep respect.
- As the highest-ranking American POW, Roddie refused Nazi orders to single out Jewish soldiers, even with a pistol at his head.
- Roddie’s actions were rooted in scriptures like Romans 8 and John 15, emphasising being "more than conquerors" and laying down one’s life for friends.
- Jenny and Chris highlight that an ordinary life, lived faithfully to honour God, can become extraordinary and deeply influential.
“Major, you can shoot me. But you'll have to kill all of us because we know who you are, and you'll be a war criminal when we win this war.”
What remarkable journeys have people faced head-on against addiction? Here, the focus shifts to courage and faith in wartime, showing how one ordinary man’s choices still echo through generations. The episode centres on Pastor Chris Edmonds as he shares the story behind his book *No Surrender: The Untold Heroism of Roddie Edmonds* and the journey of learning who his father really was. For decades, Master Sgt.
Roddie Edmonds kept quiet about his Second World War experiences, leaving only a weathered diary with brief entries like "Jewish friends moved out," "dogs," and "before the commander". Chris explains how those few words eventually led him to former POWs and a deeper understanding of his father’s character and faith.
You’ll hear how Roddie grew up in Depression-era Knoxville, walked to school with a hard biscuit for lunch, protected smaller kids from bullies, and carried a simple but strong faith into the army. Fellow POWs later told Chris, "He was a real Christian," recalling how Roddie treated them with respect, never demeaning or cursing them even while training them hard.
The emotional heart of the episode is the day at Stalag IX-A when a Nazi commander demanded that the Jewish American soldiers step forward under threat of death. With a pistol pressed to his forehead, Roddie replied, "Major, you can shoot me. But you'll have to kill all of us because we know who you are," choosing to risk his life rather than betray his men or his faith.
Jenny and Chris connect this story to scriptures Roddie loved, such as "We are more than conquerors" and "Greater love has no one than this, than lay down one's life for his friends," and they reflect on how an "ordinary life, lived well" can become heroic. It’s a powerful reminder that steadfast faith, integrity, and simple obedience can change countless lives—so what kind of courage is your story calling out of you today?
Do you want to link to this podcast?
Get the buttons here!
More From This Show
The latest episodes from the same podcast.