Rose's Legacy

Almost immediately after the tragic event, an investigation was launched into the possibility of Rose’s death being prosecuted as a war crime. Despite discrepancies and inconsistent eyewitness accounts, Special Prosecutor Colonel Jaworski concluded that no war crime was committed: Rose’s death was pronounced “a combination of unfortunate circumstances.” After a temporary burial, General Rose came to his final resting place in 1949 in the Margraten American Military Cemetery in the Netherlands.49

In Colorado, General Maurice Rose was mourned as one of the great heroes of the war.50 No one felt his death more keenly than his family in Denver. Upon hearing of Maurice’s death in action, his father exclaimed “I expected it! I knew it! When I read how he was personally leading his men in such danger, I knew he would never come back to us.”51 Despite his grief, Rabbi Rose delivered a moving address to the nation over KOA radio on May 8, 1945. With this speech, General Rose became a martyr for the cause of democracy. His life story, heroic accomplishments and the tragic circumstances of his death appeared in newspapers across the country, including in Damon Runyon’s column, “The Brighter Side,” read by millions of Americans from coast to coast.52

If it was ever in question that General Rose was highly respected by his men, his peers, and his superiors, the outpouring of support and sympathy following his death removed any doubt. In a letter to his widow, Virginia, General Eisenhower expressed his deep respect and admiration for General Rose. General Rose “was not only one of our bravest and best but was a leader who inspired his men to speedy accomplishment of tasks that to a lesser man would have appeared almost impossible.”53

At the time of Rose’s death, Denver’s Jewish community was planning the construction of a new hospital, and with Rose’s name all over the papers, they saw an opportunity to both honor a Jewish war hero and promote their fundraising campaign. Thus, the General Maurice Rose Memorial Hospital was born. The campaign was a huge success, with donations flowing in from across the country. 10,000 soldiers who served under Rose in the 3rd Armored Division donated $30,000 to honor their fallen commander.54 However, the wildly successful fundraising stint was soon marred by controversy over Rose’s religious identity. Initially buried under a cross in accordance with military records that listed Rose as a Christian, the marking on the grave was replaced with a star of David in mid-1945. Rabbi Lefkowitz, who had served with the US Army in Europe, took issue with the change, as he believed Rose’s military records and thought he ought to be buried under a cross. s He was particularly upset by the emphasis on Rose’s Jewish upbringing for the sake of hospital fundraising, believing that fundraisers were capitalizing on the horrors of the Holocaust. A war of words in the papers threatened to halt the hospital’s progress altogether, but by Mid-November 1945 the crisis had passed and plans went ahead.55 Rose remains buried under a Christian cross to this day. Despite the controversy over Rose’s religion, he continues to be regarded as an important figure in Jewish-American history.

In August 1946, the hospital held its groundbreaking ceremony with emphasis on Rose as a secular hero. In a testament to his respect for General Rose, General Eisenhower was present at the ceremony, and laid the cornerstone of the hospital.56  Known as the Rose Medical Center today, the hospital continues to serve the Denver community.