John William Rose

John was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 31, 1926. He grew up in the South Side of Chicago, attending Parker Elementary School and Parker High School, graduating in 1944. In later years, John attended Mary-Hardin Baylor College, and he graduated from the University of Nebraska at Omaha with a Bachelor of General Studies degree in 1968. John was the first in his family to receive a college degree.

John enlisted in the U.S. Army on July 14, 1944, training at Fort Riley, Kansas, before receiving orders to deploy to Europe during WWII, where he participated in three major European campaigns: the Ardennes-Alsace campaign (Battle of the Bulge), the Rhineland campaign, and the Central Europe campaign. Following the war, John returned to Chicago, where he reenlisted in the Army in November 1945. He served during the Allied occupation of Austria in the American Zone from 1946 to 1952. While stationed in Linz, Austria, he married Erika Beham. In 1952 the couple returned to the U.S., where they were stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, from 1952 to 1954. In 1954, John was deployed to Korea, where he served during the post-Armistice period until 1955, when he was transferred to Sendai, Japan. In 1956 John was reposted to Fort Knox for four years before being deployed to Butzbach, Germany, where he was stationed from 1959 to 1963. In 1963 John, Erika and their three children returned stateside, where John was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, until his retirement from the Army in 1970. Before his retirement, John completed a tour of duty from 1966 to 1967 at Bien Hoa Air Base during the Vietnam War.

John served his country in the U.S. Army from 1944, entering service as a private, until 1970, when he retired at the rank of Lt. Colonel. During his 26-year military career John distinguished himself during peacetime and wartime, receiving numerous awards and medals, including the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Bronze Star and the Meritorious Service Medal. Among many other honors, John was also awarded the European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal, the Korean Service Medal and the Vietnam Campaign Medal. Among his proudest achievements, John held various platoon and company command positions, and he was chosen by his superiors to organize, staff, develop curriculum and direct operations of the first 3d Armored Division NCO Academy in Germany, serving as Assistant Commandant of the school, which was established to provide non-commissioned officer leadership training to qualified personnel.

After retiring from the U.S. Army, John worked for the Texas Rehabilitation Commission as a Disability Examiner from 1971 to 1986. Following his retirement from the State of Texas, John enjoyed many years in pursuit of his passions, including competitive pistol and skeet shooting, camping, hunting and fishing, and especially traveling. Between the years of 1993 and 2010, John and Erika traveled extensively, visiting more than 70 countries on five continents.

LTC John William Rose will be buried in a military ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery, his final resting place. Funeral arrangements will be coordinated by Cook-Walden Capital Parks Funeral Home in Austin.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday, October 7, 2018 at 3:00 p.m. in the Buckner Villas Community Room at 11110 Tom Adams Drive in Austin. Guest parking is available at the Braker Lane entrance or beyond the gate on Tom Adams Drive (please do not park in front of residential villas).

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to the charity of your choice.

John is survived by his wife, Erika, his daughters, Patricia and Kathleen, and his sons-in-law, Dennis Wallace and John Sebesta. He is preceded in death by his son, Michael, his parents, George and Lena, and his brother, George, who died in childhood before John was born.