Maurice Rose

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Maurice Rose
Born (1899-11-26)November 26, 1899
Middletown, Connecticut
Died March 30, 1945(1945-03-30) (aged 45)
Near Paderborn, Germany
Place of burial Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial, Margraten, the Netherlands
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch United States Army
Years of service 1917–1919; 1920–1945
Rank Major General
Commands held 3rd Armored Division
Battles/wars World War I
World War II
Awards Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Medal

Major General Maurice Rose (November 26, 1899 – March 30, 1945) was a United States Army general during World War II and World War I veteran. The son and grandson of rabbis, General Rose was at the time the highest ranking Jew in the U.S. Army. He was married twice and had two sons.

The Third Armored Division official history of World War II, published after Rose had been killed in action states "He was over six feet tall, erect, dark haired, and had finely chiseled features. He was firm and prompt of decision, brooking no interference by man, events or conditions in order to destroy the enemy."

Early career

Rose first enlisted in the Colorado National Guard as a Private in 1915 hoping to serve with General John "Black Jack" Pershing's expedition into Mexico. He was discharged when it was found out that Rose falsified his age.

He enlisted again after he was old enough, and was selected for officer training. In 1917 Rose was commissioned in the Infantry, and served with the 89th Infantry Division in France. He was wounded at St. Mihiel, and saw combat in all of the Meuse-Argonne Offensive.

He briefly left the Army after the war for a short stint as a traveling salesman. Rose soon returned to the peacetime army as a captain, and continued his Army career during the interwar period, gaining experience in the theories and practices of Armored Warfare.

In addition to his completion of Officer Candidate School in 1917, Rose graduated from the Infantry Company Officer Course (1926), the Cavalry Officer Course (1931), the Command and General Staff College (1937), and the Army Industrial College (1940).[1]

World War II

During World War II, Rose served in three armored divisions. In North Africa, he served with the 1st Armored Division. During the campaign in Tunisia, General Rose was the first officer to accept the unconditional surrender of a large German unit.

He was later the Chief of Staff of the 2nd Armored Division, until he was assigned to command the 3rd Armored Division in August, 1944, and given the rank of Major General. After assuming command, Rose became known for his aggressive style of leadership, and directing the Division from the front lines not far from his forward elements. Under his command, the "Spearhead", as his division became known, drove over 100 miles in a single day, a record march for modern warfare, and played a key role in several campaigns. Notably, under Rose's command, the Division was the first unit to penetrate the Siegfried Line.

On March 30, 1945, a few miles south of the city of Paderborn in a rural forest area, General Rose was riding at the front of the Task Force Welborn column. The front of this column consisted of his own jeep, a jeep in front of him, a tank at the lead of the column, an armored car behind him, and a motorcycle messenger bringing up the rear. Suddenly they began taking small arms fire as well as tank and anti-tank fire. General Rose, along with the other men, jumped into a nearby ditch with his Thompson sub-machine gun as the lead tank took a direct hit and was destroyed. When they realized that they were being surrounded by German tanks they re-entered their jeeps and tried to escape. They drove off the road and through a nearby field before heading back towards the road. When arriving back at the road they realized it was occupied by numerous German Tiger tanks. The lead jeep gunned its engine and narrowly made it past the tiger tanks and escaped to the other side. The driver of General Rose's jeep attempted to do the same but one of the German Tigers turned to cut them off and as Rose's jeep was passing the Tiger tank wedged the jeep against a tree. The top hatch of the Tiger tank flung open and a German soldier appeared pointing a machine pistol at the group in the jeep. General Rose reached towards his pistol holster (either to throw it to the ground or in an attempt to fight back). The German soldier shot him several times with at least one round hitting Rose in the head. It is believed that the German tank crews never had any idea that the man they killed was a general because sensitive documents, as well as General Rose's body, were not removed from his jeep. Rose is buried in ABMC Netherlands American Cemetery, Margraten, Netherlands.[2]

Rose was the highest-ranking American killed by enemy fire in the European Theater of Operations during the war. (Lieutenant General Lesley J. McNair was killed by friendly fire in Normandy in July 1944.)

In modern memory

General J. Lawton Collins aka "Lightning Joe Collins", regarded Maurice Rose "as the top notch division commander in the business at the time of his death." However, Rose never gained the prominence of many of his contemporaries, for any of several reasons, including the fact that he did not survive the war, and as an intensely private man, he rarely if ever sought personal publicity.

His biographers have stated that he is "World War II's Greatest Forgotten Commander". Andy Rooney, a World War II war correspondent and later 60 Minutes commentator, wrote the following about General Rose in his book "My War":

Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, who had been with the Second Armored Division at Saint-Lô, was now the commander of the Third Armored and he may have been the best tank commander of the war. He was a leader down where they fight. Not all great generals were recognized. Maurice Rose was a great one and had a good reputation among the people who knew what was going on, but his name was not in the headlines as Patton's so often was. Rose led from the front of his armored division.

The Army transport USAT General Maurice Rose, the Rose Medical Center in Denver, Colorado and the MG Maurice Rose United States Armed Forces Reserve Center in Middletown, CT are named in his honor. The Maurice Rose Army Airfield was in Bonames, north of Frankfurt, Germany. Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany

Selected Awards and Decorations

References

  1. ↑ U.S. Army Adjutant General, Official U.S. Army Register, 1943, page 762
  2. ↑ April 4, 1992, Paderborner Zeitung
  • Denver Post, November 27, 1960
  • Steven L. Ossad, Don R. Marsh, Major General Maurice Rose: World War IIs Greatest Forgotten Commander (Taylor Trade Publishing, August 2003) ISBN 0-87833-308-8. ISBN 1-58979-351-X

External links

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