David Daniel Marcus (22 February 1901–10 June 1948), commonly known as Mickey Marcus, was an American United States Army colonel who assisted Israel during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, and who became Israel's first Major General. Marcus is the best known Israeli Machal (the Hebrew acronym for Mitnadvei Chutz Laaretz/"volunteers from outside Israel") soldier. He was portrayed in the 1966 Hollywood movie Cast a Giant Shadow by Kirk Douglas.
Contents |
Early life
Marcus's parents, Mordechai Marcus and Leah nee Goldstein, came from Iasi, Romania. Born on Hester Street on Manhattan's lower east side, Marcus was extremely bright and athletic. He attended Boys High School in Brooklyn, and was then accepted at West Point in 1920 and graduated with the class of 1924. After completing his active duty requirement, he went on to become a lawyer, and spent most of the 1930s as a United States Attorney in New York, prosecuting gangsters such as Lucky Luciano. New York City Mayor LaGuardia named Marcus Commissioner of Corrections for New York City in 1940.
World War II
After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, he served as executive officer to the military governor of Hawaii. He later participated in the Battle of Normandy in 1944. Marcus helped draw up the surrender terms for Italy and Germany and became part of the occupation government in Berlin after 1945. During that time, Marcus was placed in charge of planning how to sustain the starving millions in areas liberated by the Allies, and clearing out the Nazi concentration camps. He was subsequently named chief of the War Crimes Division, planning legal and security procedures for the Nuremberg trials.
Israeli military career
In 1947, David ben Gurion asked Marcus to recruit "an American officer" to serve as key strategic military advisor to the nascent Jewish army, the Haganah, "The Defense". As he could not recruit anyone suitable, Marcus decided to "volunteer" himself and in 1948, the United States War Department granted leave to Colonel Marcus, who was a reservist, provided Marcus disguised his name and rank to avoid problems with the British Mandate of Palestine. Under the name "Michael Stone", he arrived in Israel in January 1948, facing the Arab armies surrounding the soon-to-be declared State of Israel. There, he designed a command and control structure for Israel, adapting his war experiences at Ranger school to its special needs. He identified Israel's weakest points in the Negev south, and Jerusalem. Marcus was appointed as Commander of the Jerusalem front, and given the rank of Aluf, major general.[1] As no ranks were granted to Israeli high command at that time, he became the first general in the Israeli army. (In the present-day IDF table of ranks, "Aluf" is equivalent to major general.) He commanded several operations of the breakthrough to Jerusalem when the Jewish section of the city was about to fall. To lift the siege, Marcus ordered the construction of a make-shift winding road through the difficult mountains to Jerusalem—known as the "Burma Road" (named after its namesake built by 200,000 Chinese laborers during the Second Sino-Japanese War and served the Allies to transport goods from Burma to China during World War II) bringing in additional men and equipment to break the Arab siege just days before the United Nations previously negotiated cease fire took effect on June 9 1948.
Death
As a mostly assimilated English-speaking American Jew, Marcus knew very little Hebrew, but mainly New Yorker Yiddish. A few hours before the cessation of hostilities, Marcus, unable to sleep, went for a late night walk outside the security perimeter which he had established. On his return to the monastery, he had a white bedsheet wrapped around him, appearing to be in Arab dress.[2] Marcus was confronted by a nervous young Israeli soldier who spoke no English and who demanded that Marcus reveal the "sisma", or password to approach. In the confusion, the sentry shot Marcus and killed him. It was the only shot the Israeli guard ever fired. The bullet went right through Marcus's heart. Marcus wore no rank that night due to the Israeli forces' lack of decorating ribbon. As Marcus's body was removed from Abu Gosh, a ribbon was found and placed on his casket. Ben-Gurion, in writing to Marcus's wife Emma in Brooklyn, New York stated that: "Marcus was the best man we had".[3] His body was returned to the USA for burial. His is the only grave in West Point Cemetery at the United States Military Academy for an American killed fighting under the flag of another country. His gravestone at West Point reads: "Colonel David Marcus — a Soldier for All Humanity".
See also
References
External links
- "West Point Rites Honor Hero Commissioner/Col. 'Mickey' Marcus" (1999)
- "A Hero in Both America and Israel"
- Cast a Giant Shadow — features an all-star cast, including John Wayne, Yul Brynner, and Kirk Douglas as General Marcus (1966)
- "The Road to Jerusalem" — retracing the costly 1947–1948 battles to keep open the road to Jerusalem
- "Risking Life and Citizenship in Fight for Israel"
