David Rosenkrantz
October 31, 1915 — July 16, 2018
David Rosenkrantz was born October 31, 1915, in Los Angeles. He was the middle child of eleven born to Hyman and Eva Rosa Rosenkrantz--Russian Jewish immigrants. Hyman and Eva Rosa came to the United States in 1902 by passenger ship, met and were married in New York. They moved to Los Angeles sometime after their second child was born. They eventually settled in Watts and raised their family there.
David graduated from David Starr Jordan High School in Watts in 1934. He played football and was active in theater and glee club. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corp and at the General Motors Plant in South Gate before finally joining the Army in February 1942. After basic training he completed Airborne training and was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, H Company. Over the course of his time in H Company he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was platoon sergeant at the time of his death. He led a mortar squad which had a pretty good reputation for their accuracy.
The Third Battalion of the 504 participated in the initial invasion of Sicily on July 9, 1943. David was miss-dropped like most of the other paratroopers but ended up helping capturing 200 Italian soldiers. After initially being captured by the Italians, David and Corporal Black from Tennessee convinced the Italians to surrender. The story was a huge media hit at home in Los Angeles and he received his first Bronze Star Medal for that event. David apparently was also involved with the Battle of Biazza Ridge, but the information about that is sketchy.
David was wounded later in Sicily but recovered to join his unit to fight in Italy at Salerno, Anzio, and Chunzi Pass. It was at Anzio that the Third Battalion earned the name “Devils in Baggy Pants” that has stuck with paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne and 504 PIR ever since.
After recuperating in England, the 504 was involved with the liberation of the Netherlands in Operation Market Garden. The third Battalion jumped into the Nijmegen area and helped capture the bridges at Grave and over the Waal (Rhine) River. David was part of the famous Waalcrossing where paratroopers of the Third Battalion crossed the Waal River in daylight to capture the railroad and road bridges in Nijmegen. Many lives were lost in capturing the bridges but David survived and helped capture both bridges.
A week later on 28 September 1944 David’s squad was on patrol in the Den Heuvel area a few miles south of Nijmegen. Unknown to them a large German counter attack swarmed over the squad and also I Company which was positioned just north of them. David was killed from behind by German machine gun fire. The squad took cover and retreated at night unable to retrieve his body. When they went back for it, it was gone. His remains would be missing for the next 73 years.
Efforts were made to find David’s remains at the farm where he was killed (Heuvelhof) with no success. His dog tags were found near where he was killed they did not help lead to the location of his remains. The report about the dogtags and the dogtags themselves got lost until March 2012. Starting around the mid 1980s a young Dutchman, Ben Overhand, started searching for David’s remains. He was able to talk to eye witnesses and had finally concluded the remains had been removed and buried somewhere else as an unidentified American soldier. He continued to try and help locate David’s remains for the next 35 years. Also behind the scenes was author Frank van Lunteren who also continued to encourage the Defense POW MIA Organization (DPMO and later the DPAA) to search for and identify remains in their possession. Apparently what happened was that the Dutch had recovered the remains from a field grave that had been hit by an artillery shell. They passed the remains to the Canadian graves team which passed by. The Canadians later passed the remains to the Americans after the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten was built. Finally DNA testing was conducted on some of the unidentified soldiers at Margraten and David was identified.
The Rosenkrantz Family would like to thank all of the people who helped locate our uncle and bring him home to be buried with his four brothers who were also part of WWII and are buried at Riverside National Cemetery: Lawrence (Merchant Marine), Launie (Navy), Jack (Army Air Force) and Harry (Army).
David was extremely close to everyone in the family and everyone who knew him loved him. His letters home while in the army reflected how connected he was to everyone. He was very gregarious and a central figure in keeping the family close together. His loss was devastating to the family...especially to his mother. She never gave up hope that her son might still be alive.
Please leave the family condolences through our web site.
IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:
Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise
Soldier Accounted For From World War II
To Be Buried With Full Military Honors
July 13, 2018
WASHINGTON— The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Staff Sgt. David Rosenkrantz, 28, of Los Angeles, accounted for on March 7, will be buried in June 20 in Riverside, California. In September 1944, Rosenkrantz was a member of Company H, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, participating in Operation Market Garden, a ploy by Allied planners to break German defensive lines on the western front by capturing a highway route through the Netherlands. On Sept. 28, 1944, Rosenkrantz’ platoon occupied Heuvelhof, a farm, located south of the town of Groesbeek. German tanks and infantry launched a major attack that morning. The isolated paratroopers hid among sparse trees and buildings. As Rosenkrantz rose from his position, enemy gunfire erupted and Rosenkrantz was killed. Due to enemy fire and the proximity to enemy troops, Rosenkrantz’ remains could not be recovered.
Between 1945 and 1952, Canadian, Dutch and American Graves Registration teams were active in the area where Rosenkrantz died. The Dutch team recovered identification tags for Rosenkrantz, along with fragmentary remains. An American team, acting on the information provided by the Dutch, followed up and found additional fragmentary remains, but the combined remains discovered were too sparse to be identified. Unbeknownst to those teams, a Canadian team working in the area prior to their arrival had already collected the remains of service members killed in this area. As a result of all of these activities, several sets of unidentifiable remains recovered from the battlefields around Groesbeek were buried as unknowns in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries in Europe.
After thorough research and historical analysis by DPAA. Aided by Dutch researcher Mr. Ben Overhand and 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment historian Mr. Frank Van Lunteren, one set of interred remains, X-1234 Margraten, was circumstantially associated to the location of where Rosenkrantz was killed.
The remains, which were initially recovered by the 2nd Canadian Graves Registration Unit, were buried at the Canadian Military Cemetery on June 22, 1945, and were listed as an American Soldier.
On June 14, 2017, DPAA disinterred X-1234 from the Netherlands American Cemetery.
To identify Rosenkrantz’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched his family, dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his records; and circumstantial evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Overhand, Mr. Van Lunteren, the Royal Netherlands Army’s Recovery and Identification Unit and the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this recovery.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,906 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Rosenkrantz’ name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site, along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil , find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
David graduated from David Starr Jordan High School in Watts in 1934. He played football and was active in theater and glee club. He worked for the Civilian Conservation Corp and at the General Motors Plant in South Gate before finally joining the Army in February 1942. After basic training he completed Airborne training and was a member of the 82nd Airborne Division, 504 Parachute Infantry Regiment, H Company. Over the course of his time in H Company he rose to the rank of Staff Sergeant and was platoon sergeant at the time of his death. He led a mortar squad which had a pretty good reputation for their accuracy.
The Third Battalion of the 504 participated in the initial invasion of Sicily on July 9, 1943. David was miss-dropped like most of the other paratroopers but ended up helping capturing 200 Italian soldiers. After initially being captured by the Italians, David and Corporal Black from Tennessee convinced the Italians to surrender. The story was a huge media hit at home in Los Angeles and he received his first Bronze Star Medal for that event. David apparently was also involved with the Battle of Biazza Ridge, but the information about that is sketchy.
David was wounded later in Sicily but recovered to join his unit to fight in Italy at Salerno, Anzio, and Chunzi Pass. It was at Anzio that the Third Battalion earned the name “Devils in Baggy Pants” that has stuck with paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne and 504 PIR ever since.
After recuperating in England, the 504 was involved with the liberation of the Netherlands in Operation Market Garden. The third Battalion jumped into the Nijmegen area and helped capture the bridges at Grave and over the Waal (Rhine) River. David was part of the famous Waalcrossing where paratroopers of the Third Battalion crossed the Waal River in daylight to capture the railroad and road bridges in Nijmegen. Many lives were lost in capturing the bridges but David survived and helped capture both bridges.
A week later on 28 September 1944 David’s squad was on patrol in the Den Heuvel area a few miles south of Nijmegen. Unknown to them a large German counter attack swarmed over the squad and also I Company which was positioned just north of them. David was killed from behind by German machine gun fire. The squad took cover and retreated at night unable to retrieve his body. When they went back for it, it was gone. His remains would be missing for the next 73 years.
Efforts were made to find David’s remains at the farm where he was killed (Heuvelhof) with no success. His dog tags were found near where he was killed they did not help lead to the location of his remains. The report about the dogtags and the dogtags themselves got lost until March 2012. Starting around the mid 1980s a young Dutchman, Ben Overhand, started searching for David’s remains. He was able to talk to eye witnesses and had finally concluded the remains had been removed and buried somewhere else as an unidentified American soldier. He continued to try and help locate David’s remains for the next 35 years. Also behind the scenes was author Frank van Lunteren who also continued to encourage the Defense POW MIA Organization (DPMO and later the DPAA) to search for and identify remains in their possession. Apparently what happened was that the Dutch had recovered the remains from a field grave that had been hit by an artillery shell. They passed the remains to the Canadian graves team which passed by. The Canadians later passed the remains to the Americans after the Netherlands American Cemetery in Margraten was built. Finally DNA testing was conducted on some of the unidentified soldiers at Margraten and David was identified.
The Rosenkrantz Family would like to thank all of the people who helped locate our uncle and bring him home to be buried with his four brothers who were also part of WWII and are buried at Riverside National Cemetery: Lawrence (Merchant Marine), Launie (Navy), Jack (Army Air Force) and Harry (Army).
David was extremely close to everyone in the family and everyone who knew him loved him. His letters home while in the army reflected how connected he was to everyone. He was very gregarious and a central figure in keeping the family close together. His loss was devastating to the family...especially to his mother. She never gave up hope that her son might still be alive.
Please leave the family condolences through our web site.
IMMEDIATE PRESS RELEASE:
Fulfilling Our Nation’s Promise
Soldier Accounted For From World War II
To Be Buried With Full Military Honors
July 13, 2018
WASHINGTON— The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of a U.S. serviceman, accounted-for from World War II, are being returned to his family for burial with full military honors.
Army Staff Sgt. David Rosenkrantz, 28, of Los Angeles, accounted for on March 7, will be buried in June 20 in Riverside, California. In September 1944, Rosenkrantz was a member of Company H, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, participating in Operation Market Garden, a ploy by Allied planners to break German defensive lines on the western front by capturing a highway route through the Netherlands. On Sept. 28, 1944, Rosenkrantz’ platoon occupied Heuvelhof, a farm, located south of the town of Groesbeek. German tanks and infantry launched a major attack that morning. The isolated paratroopers hid among sparse trees and buildings. As Rosenkrantz rose from his position, enemy gunfire erupted and Rosenkrantz was killed. Due to enemy fire and the proximity to enemy troops, Rosenkrantz’ remains could not be recovered.
Between 1945 and 1952, Canadian, Dutch and American Graves Registration teams were active in the area where Rosenkrantz died. The Dutch team recovered identification tags for Rosenkrantz, along with fragmentary remains. An American team, acting on the information provided by the Dutch, followed up and found additional fragmentary remains, but the combined remains discovered were too sparse to be identified. Unbeknownst to those teams, a Canadian team working in the area prior to their arrival had already collected the remains of service members killed in this area. As a result of all of these activities, several sets of unidentifiable remains recovered from the battlefields around Groesbeek were buried as unknowns in American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) cemeteries in Europe.
After thorough research and historical analysis by DPAA. Aided by Dutch researcher Mr. Ben Overhand and 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment historian Mr. Frank Van Lunteren, one set of interred remains, X-1234 Margraten, was circumstantially associated to the location of where Rosenkrantz was killed.
The remains, which were initially recovered by the 2nd Canadian Graves Registration Unit, were buried at the Canadian Military Cemetery on June 22, 1945, and were listed as an American Soldier.
On June 14, 2017, DPAA disinterred X-1234 from the Netherlands American Cemetery.
To identify Rosenkrantz’ remains, scientists from DPAA and the Armed Forces Medical Examiner System used mitochondrial (mtDNA) DNA analysis, which matched his family, dental and anthropological analysis, which matched his records; and circumstantial evidence.
DPAA is grateful to Mr. Overhand, Mr. Van Lunteren, the Royal Netherlands Army’s Recovery and Identification Unit and the American Battle Monuments Commission for their partnership in this recovery.
Of the 16 million Americans who served in World War II, more than 400,000 died during the war. Currently there are 72,906 service members (approximately 26,000 are assessed as possibly-recoverable) still unaccounted for from World War II. Rosenkrantz’ name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at the Netherlands American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site, along with the other MIAs from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.
For additional information on the Defense Department’s mission to account for Americans who went missing while serving our country, visit the DPAA website at www.dpaa.mil , find us on social media at www.facebook.com/dodpaa or call (703) 699-1420/1169.
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