Kiryat Ye'arim, Jerusalem District, Israel — The Middle East (West Asia)

Major General Mickey Marcus

Photographed by David Philip

1. The Major General Mickey Marcus Marker

Inscription. David Daniel Marcus, the son of a Romanian Jewish family, was born in 1902 in New York. In 1924 he graduated from the West Point Military Academy and after three years of military service, he retired and started a legal career. In the 1940's, he joined the legal branch of the U.S. Army, served in training functions, took part in the invasion of Normandy as a parachutist, and subsequently served in the Military Government in Germany as head of the unit for War Crimes Investigations before being discharged with the rank of Colonel. In 1948, David Marcus (nicknamed David Stone) was invited to serve as military advisor for the newly created Israeli army. He was appointed the commander of the Jerusalem Front with the rank of Major General in command of operations for the breakthrough to Jerusalem as well as preparations for the Burma Road. On June 11, 1948 at dawn close to the beginning of the first cease-fire he was mistakenly shot by a guard at his head quarters near Abu Gosh. His coffin was flown to the United States where he was buried at West Point.

This monument has been set up in the memory of David Daniel Marcus,

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“Mickey Stone”.

(Hebrew not transcribed)

Erected by Ministry of Defense Rehabilitation Department for the Commemoration of the Fallen Soldiers.

Topics. This memorial is listed in these topic lists: Heroes • Military • Wars, Non-US. A significant historical date for this entry is June 10, 1948.

Location. 31° 48.249′ N, 35° 6.269′ E. Memorial is in Kiryat Ye'arim, Jerusalem District. It can be reached from Ha-Rav A.Gordon Street. Touch for map. Memorial is at or near this postal address: Ha-Rav A.Gordon St 126, Kiryat Ye'arim, Jerusalem District, Israel. Touch for directions.

Regionally, it is in Asia,

specifically in West Asia,

in the Middle East,

in The Levant,

on the Red Sea,

in a coastal Mediterranean country,

and in the Western World.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Byzantine Empire,

the Ottoman Empire,

a British Mandate,

and the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 11 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Stephen Theodore Norman, 1918-1946. Last descendent of Theodor Herzl (approx. 7.7 kilometers away); Etz Haim Neighborhood (approx. 9.2

Major General Mickey Marcus Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by David Philip

2. Major General Mickey Marcus Marker

Officer of the Israel Army salutes after placing a wreath donated by the Jewish American Society for Historic Preservation, in honor and respect, for General Marcus.

kilometers away); Government Vehicles Compound (approx. 9.6 kilometers away); Issa Musa Houses (approx. 9.6 kilometers away); Jerusalem in the Second Temple Period (approx. 9.9 kilometers away); The Sephardi Old-Age Home (approx. 9.9 kilometers away); The Shrine of the Book (approx. 10 kilometers away); Shaare Zedek-Wallach Hospital (approx. 10 kilometers away).

More about this memorial. The memorial was erected very near the spot General Marcus was killed, the Arab Village of Abu-Gosh.

Regarding Major General Mickey Marcus. David Daniel "Mickey" Marcus (22 February 1901 – 10 June 1948) was a United States Army colonel, later Israel's first General.

Also see . . .
1. Mickey Marcus 1902-1948. The infant state of Israel, declared on May 15, 1948, was created by the United Nations Partition Resolution on November 29, 1947. Israel, upon its declaration of independence, was immediately attacked by six invading Arab armies. The infant state, with no air force or navy and only a very poorly equipped, disorganized, conflicting military structure, lacked a centralized professional command. David Ben Gurion, Israel's

Photographed by David Philip

3. Major General Mickey Marcus Marker

first prime minister reached out to West Point trained Mickey Marcus to bring control and focus to the desperate Israeli forces. Marcus brought order, structure, and focus to the Israeli army. He overcame internal dissensions and divisions precisely because he was an "outsider." For the first time, the army was able to coalesce under a central command to defend the country bringing Israel to eventual victory against incredible odds.

David Daniel Mickey Marcus, a tough Brooklyn street kid, rose by virtue of his courage and intelligence to help save Israel in 1948 and become its first general since Judah Maccabee. After a distinguished career in military and public service to the United States, the 46-year-old Marcus wrote his name forever in the annals of Israeli history.

(Submitted on June 10, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)

2. Mickey Marcus. In 1947, David Ben-Gurion asked Marcus to recruit a U.S. officer to serve as military advisor to the nascent Israeli army, the Haganah. He could not recruit anyone suitable, so Marcus volunteered himself. In 1948, the National Military Establishment informally

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acquiesced to Marcus' undertaking, provided he disguised his name and rank to avoid problems with the British authorities in Mandatory Palestine. Under the nom de guerre "Michael Stone," he arrived in Palestine in January 1948. Arab armies surrounded the soon-to-be declared State of Israel. (Submitted on June 10, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida.)

Additional keywords. Abu-Ghosh, David Stone, West Point, American, Machal

Credits. This page was last revised on November 27, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 10, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. This page has been viewed 1,037 times since then and 146 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on June 10, 2023, by Jerry Klinger of Boynton Beach, Florida. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.