Army Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose To Be Honored With Statue At State Capitol

DENVER (CBS4)- There is a campaign to build a statue honoring Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose at the state Capitol. He had a courageous career in the Army.

Rose served in both WWI and WWII after he tried to enlist at the age of 16. He graduated from East High School and is the namesake of Rose Medical Center.

Rose was Jewish and he was the highest-ranking Jewish officer when he was killed in action in WWII. He was a highly decorated soldier and was the first to negotiate the surrender of the German army when the Allied Forces landed in Africa.

"He also was the first to cross into Germany in WWII. How biblical is it for a Jewish war hero to be the first to invade Nazi Germany, to capture the first major city in Germany, shoot down the first German airplane in Germany, are just a few of the examples of what a courageous soldier he was because he led from the front," said biographer Marshall Fogel.

Rose Medical Center donated the first $10,000 to build the statue. When it's unveiled, the Major General will be facing east because he always marched east toward Germany.