Photos from Army Base Ribbon Cutting Ceremony

Last night dignitaries cut a ribbon to dedicate the opening of Middletown's new Army Reserve Training Facility to local war hero General Maurice Rose who gave his life in 1945 defending our country during WWII.

Fishmuscle originally posed about the event in the Eye earlier in the week featured here:

This Eye reported noted that when asked to stand only 2 WWII Veterans were in attendance in the audience, a sign that as the population ages, living WWII veterans dwindle in numbers, making it imperative to properly honor these brave men and women and note their personal histories in a timely manner. Senator Richard Blumenthal gave a speech and stated that his son is currently serving in Afganistan. In her speech, Congresswoman Rosa Delauro noted that of those eligible to serve in Armed Forces in the U.S. only .06% of the population chooses to do so. The facility can hold up to 700 reservists on a rotating basis, including 100 permanent staff, as well as space for 150 service vehicles. Speeches by Army officials gave detailed about the life of General Rose.

Did you know? More facts about General Maurice Rose from Wikipedia:

"General J. Lawton Collins aka "Lightning Joe Collins", regarded Maurice Rose "as the top notch division commander in the business at the time of his death." However, Rose never gained the prominence of many of his contemporaries, for any of several reasons, including the fact that he did not survive the war, and as an intensely private man, he rarely if ever sought personal publicity.

His biographers have stated that he is "World War II's Greatest Forgotten Commander". Andy Rooney, a the World War II war correspondent and later 60 Minutes commentator, wrote the following about General Rose in his book "My War":

Maj. Gen. Maurice Rose, who had been with the Second Armored Division at Saint-Lô, was now the commander of the Third Armored and he may have been the best tank commander of the war. He was a leader down where they fight. Not all great generals were recognized. Maurice Rose was a great one and had a good reputation among the people who knew what was going on, but his name was not in the headlines as Patton's so often was. Rose led from the front of his armored division.

The Army transport USAT General Maurice Rose and the Rose Medical Center in Denver, Colorado are named in his honor. The Maurice Rose Army Airfield was in Bonames, north of Frankfurt, Germany."