WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Baptist preacher in town during Holocaust Education Week is sharing why he calls his dad a hero.
Pastor Chris Edmonds travels around the country and recently made a stop in Palm Beach County, speaking to students at different schools.
Pastor Edmonds says during World War II, his father, Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, defied orders from a Nazi to reveal which U.S. soldiers were Jewish in 1945. They were part of the 106th Infantry Division.
Pastor Edmonds, who started the Roddie's Code organization, said, "That's how he lived his life. His favorite scripture was John 15:13, 'Greater love has no one than this, to lay down one's life for his friend.' He not only loved that verse, he lived that verse best he could, and definitely lived it in that camp, in the POW camp, 'cause that's what saved their lives.”
The organization Insight Through Education hosted Edmonds coming to town to speak with students. They encourage students to be kind and respectful to one another. They also help fund Holocaust education.
They will be hosting their annual fundraising gala on Dec. 10 at the Kravis Center. The guest speaker will be actress Patricia Heaton from the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond."
Kelly Warsaw, the board president for Insight Through Education, said, "And we do that with students K through 12, building on programs that can provide education to every student every year, and Chris’ program and his message is so on point because we really have to focus on the fact that every student can make a difference, that each student has the power within them to make a difference in their community."
Pastor Edmonds says his father is being considered for the Congressional Medal of Honor.
