Rose, Maurice.

Rose, Maurice, born 26-11-1899 in Middletown, Connecticut, the son of the orthodox Jewish rabbi, Samuel “Sam” Rose   and Katherin “Katy”, born Bronowitz, Rose, born in Poland, was a soldier’s soldier.

 ,  . Immaculate, ruthless in his calculated destruction of the enemy, he was qualified by his experience, achievements and character to lead the spearhead of the first Americans

Rose was educated in Denver, and graduated from East High School in 1916. Maurice edited the school newspaper, and his desire for a military career became well-known among his classmates; in the school yearbook, a cartoon illustrating the newspaper staff depicted him carrying a rifle.

Rose lied about his age to enlist in the Colorado National Guard as a private after graduating from high school in 1916, hoping to serve in the Pancho Villa Expedition.

The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the “Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army“—was a military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa from March 14, 1916, to February 7, 1917, during the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920.

He was discharged six weeks later when his commander was informed that he was underage.

The Pancho Villa Expedition—now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition, but originally referred to as the “Punitive Expedition, U.S. Army”—was an unsuccessful military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Pancho” Villa from 14-04-1916, to 07-02-1917, during the Mexican Revolution of 1910–1920. Between June 1915 and June 1916 raiders from Mexican irregulars carried out 38 raids on the United States, resulting in the deaths of 26 soldiers and 11 civilians.

Maurice worked for a year in a meatpacking plant where one of his brothers was employed, enlisted again after he was old enough, and was selected for officer training. After graduating from Officer Candidate School at Fort Riley, Kansas, in 1917 Rose was commissioned as a second lieutenant of infantry, and served with the 89th Infantry Division  under command of General John J. Pershing ,    in France. Rose was assigned to command a platoon in the 353rd Infantry Regiment, a unit of the 89th Division. The division was organized and trained at Camp Funston to prepare for service in France, and in December 1917 he was promoted to temporary first lieutenant. In May 1918, the division traveled by train to Camp Mills, New York, and it departed for Europe by ship in June. Later that month, the 89th Division arrived in Liverpool, England and a week later they arrived in France.

The 89th Division completed additional training until August, when it relieved the 82nd Division nicknamed “All American Division”,    under command of Brigadier General James Brailsford Erwin,  in the Lucey sector, near the city of Toul. The 82nd Airborne Division is an airborne infantry division of the United States Army specializing in parachute assault operations into denied areas with a U.S. Department of Defense requirement to “respond to crisis contingencies anywhere in the world within 18 hours”. Based at Fort Liberty, North Carolina, the 82nd Airborne Division is part of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The 82nd Airborne Division is the U.S. Army’s most strategically mobile division

Rose’s battalion of the 353rd Infantry took up defensive positions near Metz, where they began preparations to participate in the Meuse–Argonne offensive.[15] Rose took part in combat throughout the offensive, and was wounded  at St. Mihiel, including being hit by shrapnel during a German mortar and artillery barrage, as well as sustaining a concussion. He initially refused to be evacuated, but he collapsed from exhaustion. Medics removed him from the battlefield, and he was taken to the 89th Division’s hospital near the village of Flirey.

After a few days of convalescence, Rose left the hospital against medical advice and returned to his unit. With medical officials unsure of his whereabouts, the Army reported to Rose’s parents that he been killed, an error which took several days to correct. Rose continued to serve with the 353rd Infantry until the war ended in November 1918 due to the Armistice with Germany. He remained in Germany as part of the Army of Occupation, and was discharged in June 1919.

After leaving the Army, Rose accepted a position as a traveling salesman with Hendrie & Bolthoff, makers of mining and manufacturing equipment and supplies.[20] His territory included Utah, and he rented a room in Salt Lake City. During a visit to the post quartermaster at nearby Fort Douglas, Rose learned that while the army carried out a post-war reorganization, it was accepting a limited number of lieutenants and captains for return to active duty. In addition to his completion of Officer Candidate School in 1917, Rose graduated from the Infantry Company Officer Course (1926) and the Cavalry Officer Course (1931). He was a 1937 graduate of the Command and General Staff College, and he graduated from the Army Industrial College in 1940.

During World War II, General Rose served with the three greatest of American Armoured Divisions; in Africa and Italy with the 1^st “Old Ironsides”  under Major General Orlando Ward.  Casualties during the war: total battle casualties: 7,096, , killed in action: 1,194, wounded in action: 5,168,  missing in action: 216 and prisoner of war: 518. The 2nd “Hell on Wheels”  under command of 2* General Major Ernest Nason Harmon. Casualties: Total battle casualties: 5,864, killed in action: 981, wounded in action: 4,557 , missing in action: 60 and prisoner of war: 266.

From July 1940 to July 1941 Rose was assigned to Fort Knox, Kentucky and commanded 3rd Battalion, 13th Armored Regiment as a lieutenant colonel. In 1941, he was assigned as executive officer of 1st Armored Brigade, a unit of the newly-organized 1st Armored Division. After observing the brigade in action, newspaper reporter Keyes Beech referred to Rose as “probably the best looking man in the army.”

In early 1942, Rose was chief of staff for the 2nd Armored Division at Fort Benning, Georgia. He continued as chief of staff after the division arrived in North Africa and was promoted to colonel. When German forces in Tunisia were reduced to combat ineffectiveness, Rose negotiated with their commander, General Fritz Krause, on the details of their unconditional surrender.

Promoted to Brigadier General, Rose was assigned to lead Combat Command A, 2nd Armored Division, which he commanded in combat throughout fighting in Sicily. When Leroy Hugh Watson  was relieved as commander of the 3rd Armored Division, during combat in France in August 1944, Rose succeeded him and was promoted to major general..General Fritz Kleine survived the war and died age 80, 14 februari 1975 (Ingelheim/Rijnland-Palts,

After assuming command of the division, Rose became known for his aggressive style of leadership, directing his units from the front rather than a rear command post. Following the 1944 Allied breakthrough on the French coast, the 3rd Armored Division dashed through Belgium and was the first tank unit to enter Germany, and the first to breach the Siegfried line.[41][42] 3rd Armored helped stem the German offensive in the Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge, and was the first armor unit to enter Cologne.

Finally throughout the climactic western European campaigns at the head of his own 3^rd Armoured Division, nickname “Spearhead” succeeding commander Major General Leroy Hugh Watson , the organization he claimed to be the greatest tank force in the world and one worthy of the sobriquet: “SPEARHEAD.” During the war, the 3^rd Armored Division participated in 231 days of combat. They had lost more tanks in combat than any other U.S. division. The Division’s casualties included a total of 2.540 killed, 7.331 wounded, 95 missing, and 139 captured. Total battle and non-battle casualties came to 16.122. Rose 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. No armchair strategist, General Rose directed operations from a jeep, or known in WWII as a “peep”, at the cutting edge of the Spearhead. He travelled with the forward elements of his command, up with the tankers and the blitz dough’s. His military decorations   include the Distinguished Service Cross, Distinguished Service Medal, Silver Star with two oak leaf clusters, the Legion of Merit with an Oak leaf cluster, The Bronze Star Medal with an oak leaf cluster, Purple Heart  with an oak leaf cluster, French Legion of Honour, French Croix de Guerre with palm and the Belgian Croix de Guerre with palm. General Rose was one of two division commanders killed in ETO, the other being a commander of the  nickname “Keystone” within hours of taking command.

The 28^th Infantry Division had the next casualties in WW2, total battle casualties: 16.762, killed in action: 2.316, wounded in action: 9.609, missing in action: 884 and  prisoner of war: 3.953.

Death and burial ground of Rose, Maurice.

The death of General Rose: General Rose went up front and that’s where he was on the dark evening of 30-03-1945 when he and two others rounded a bend in the road and ran into a German tank. The young German tank commander, ordered the 3 men to surrender. Looking at General Rose’s pistol, he excitedly began to bark out orders and pointing to the General’s weapon. General Rose moved his right hand so that he could drop his weapon to the earth but then the German tank commander shot him in the head. The others escaped unharmed and told the story of General Rose’s murder. Maurice Rose here with President Harry Shipp Truman, the son of a rabbi was the first Jewish and first Amis division General to be killed in Germany.

     He was mourned as a GI tanker mourns a crew mate, and he was buried at Ittenbach, Germany, beside the men he led.

  War correspondent Hal Boyle wrote, at the time: “Rose lived and died as a professional, as a career he loved and followed since he was a boy of 17. He would be the last to regret that he had a soldier’s ending.”

Rose was, age 45, reburied on the American War cemetery of Margraten, Netherlands Section C, Row 1, Grave1, Honorary pallbearers at Roosevelt’s funeral include Omar Bradley and Lieutenant General George Smith Patton at the head of the column on the left, and, on the right, Lieutenant General Courtney Hicks Hodges and Harry John Collins.  Close by the grave of Lieutenant Colonel of the 101^st Airborne Division

, Robert Cole,  the 502 Company hero, he earned the medal of honour for his bravery in Carentan, France during D-Day. His son of his second wife Virginia Basrringer, colonel Maurice “Mike” Rose a marine for 31 years

   died 25-10-2010, aged 84

Rose’s birthplace in Middletown, Connecticut is marked with a plaque as part of the city’s Main Street Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[52] The Armed Forces Reserve Center in Middletown is also named for Rose,[53] as is the Connecticut Route 9 bridge over Union Street in Middletown.[54]

Rose Terrace and Rose Hall at Fort Knox were named for Rose.[55] The army transport USAT General Maurice Rose, the Rose Medical Center in Denver, Colorado, and the primary school in Margraten, Netherlands were named in his honor.[51][56] In addition, the now-closed Maurice Rose Army Airfield near Frankfurt, Germany and Rose Barracks near Vilseck, Germany  were also named for him.

The 1951 film The Tanks Are Coming depicts five tanks of the 3rd Armored Division as they advance across France into Germany during World War II. The commanding general of the division is not named, but is presumed to be Rose based on the film’s timeline and the fact that the character was portrayed by Roy Roberts, an actor who physically resembled Rose

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