RIGHTING A WRONG

Colorado recognizes Denver’s unsung hero, Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose

BY CANDY PETROFSKY SPECIAL TO COLORADO COMMUNITY MEDIA

ey say no two roses are alike.

And this is the case for one of Denver’s unsung heroes. ere will never be another Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose. e late Maj. Gen. Rose, of Denver, is known for being the highest-ranking Jewish general killed in action. Former presidents and generals, such as Gen. “Lightning” Joe Collins and Dwight D. Eisenhower, credited him for ending World War II.

And yet, children at the Basisschool Maurice Rose in the Netherlands - which is where Rose is buried - know more about him than the kids at Denver Public Schools. Denver resident Paul Shamon is doing something about that.

“I think it’s safe to say, at one time, those kids (attending the Basisschool Maurice Rose) knew more about Rose than our state legislators, rabbis and historians combined,” Shamon said. “It’s nice to see a wrong being righted.”

A few years ago, Shamon attended a book signing by Denver author Marshall Fogel who penned: “Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, the most decorated battle tank commander in U.S. military history.” e helmet and picture made a great impression on Shamon, who was just a boy. And the same for Fogel, a former lawyer, who decided to write his book on Rose after he closed his law practice. e two eventually shared their great admiration for Rose and developed a strong kinship. Peoples’ memories of Rose were fading, Shamon said. “ is man deserved to be honored and remembered for his extraordinary sacri ce,” Shamon added. “He deserved a statue.”

Like Fogel, Shamon rst learned of Rose after seeing his military helmet on display and a picture of him hanging in the lobby of Rose Medical Center — named in honor of the war hero — which is located at 4567 E. Ninth Ave. in Denver’s Hale neighborhood.

A statue in Rose’s honor

In 2019, during a time when statues were being torn down across the country, Fogel and Shamon started fundraising for the Rose statue. eir goal was to raise $8,000 to erect a 10-foot-tall statue of Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, to stand proudly on the grounds of the Denver capitol.

“No taxpayer funds were spent on the statue,” Shamon said. “All fundraising, including the maintenance of the statue, will be taken care of privately, in perpetuity.”

George Lundeen of Loveland was hired to sculpt the statue. Lundeen’s father was a pilot in WWII, but the sculptor had not known of Rose. e more he learned about him as he worked on the project, it became clear that Rose is “one of the greatest American heroes of WWII,” Lundeen said.

“It’s an honor to work on a piece like this,” Lundeen said. After three long years, thousands of Coloradoans will nally get to see the Rose statue when it’s installed in its new home at the Lincoln Veterans Memorial Park, with the best place for viewing being at 14th Avenue and Lincoln Street. e nished product will be complete with a QR code that statue visitors can scan to learn all about the late Rose. e statue’s dedication ceremony is expected to take place late Spring.

‘The Clint Eastwood of the military’ Fogel described Rose as “the Clint Eastwood of the military.”

“He was a soldier’s soldier and that’s why his men loved him,” Fogel said. e son of a rabbi, Rose enlisted in the military at 17, after dropping out of Denver’s East High School. He had to lie about being Jewish or the Army wouldn’t accept him. Rose had George Clooneylike looks and an obsession with winning WWII. He fought right alongside his soldiers in the 2nd and 3rd Armored Divisions - putting their needs before his - and he had the ear of all the top brass during the time.

“ ere are so many stories of how he made sure his men were fed before he ate. How he refused medical service to remove shrapnel until his men were taken care of rst,” Fogel said. “He’s even buried in the Netherlands, right next to his

In fact, his only criticism was that he didn’t wear all his ribbons on his chest, added Fogel, and he always placed his command posts dangerously close to the front.

In comparison, Rose’s accomplishments are too many to note. But some of Fogel’s most extraordinary ndings include: