In January 1945, inside a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp, an American master sergeant was ordered to identify the Jewish soldiers under his command.

He refused.

Facing a loaded pistol, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds told a German officer:

“We are all Jews here.”

This episode of A Small Light tells the true story of an ordinary man from Tennessee whose moral courage saved Jewish American soldiers during the Holocaust — and helped protect nearly 1,300 prisoners of war.

Through firsthand accounts and historical records, this is a story about leadership, conscience, and what it means to stand up when the cost is everything.

➡️ Your move:

🏅 Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds has been recognized by Israel as Righteous Among the Nations, but he has not yet received formal recognition from the United States.

🇺🇸 Find your representative:

https://www.commoncause.org/find-your-representative/

Copy + paste message this message:

Please support H.R. 921 — the Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds Congressional Gold Medal Act. Roddie Edmonds saved Jewish American soldiers during the Holocaust by refusing a Nazi order. His courage deserves formal recognition.

Support the Podcast

A Small Light is an independent, listener-supported podcast.

If you’d like to support the work, you can buy me a coffee here:

☕ https://buymeacoffee.com/shifra.ruth

In this introductory episode, host Shifra Corrigan explains the purpose of A Small Light and the stories at its heart. This podcast explores the lives of the Righteous Among the Nations—ordinary people who risked everything to save Jews during the Holocaust—alongside the courage and resistance of the Jews they helped. In a time of rising antisemitism, these stories remind us what one person’s moral choice can mean.