LTC Thomas Gerald Rosell

Commanding Officer 1st Battalion 22nd Infantry

4th Infantry Division

March 3 - October 7, 1967

Thomas G. Rosell was drafted into the Army on December 21, 1942. He was discharged on November 15, 1944
and given a temporary commission as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army of the United States (AUS) on November 16, 1944.

He was promoted to 1st Lieutenant (AUS) on August 31, 1945. Rosell was given a commission in the Regular Army
as a 2nd Lieutenant of Infantry on March 17, 1947. He was promoted to the permanent rank of 1st Lieutenant in the
Regular Army that same year on December 10, 1947. The Army Register for 1949 made note that he was awarded
the Silver Star Medal and Bronze Star Medal for actions in World War II.

He was promoted to the temporary rank of Captain (AUS) on September 27, 1950 and to the permanent rank of Captain
in the Regular Army on May 14, 1951. Also in 1951 he graduated from the Infantry School Officers Advanced Course.

Rosell was promoted to the temporary rank of Major (AUS) on July 10, 1956 and to the permanent rank of Major in the
Regular Army on November 16, 1958.

On June 18, 1962 he was promoted to the temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel (AUS). Also in 1962 he graduated from
the Army Command & General Staff College. In 1963 he received a BGE degree from the Municipal University of Omaha.

Rosell was promoted to the permanent rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Regular Army on November 16, 1965.

LTC Rosell was the Executive Officer of 1/22 Infantry and assumed command when LTC Paul Braim
was accidentally shot on March 3, 1967.

He was promoted to the temporary rank of Colonel (AUS) on February 20, 1968.

Thomas G. Rosell retired from the Army with the rank of Colonel in 1974.

COL (Ret.) Thomas Gerald Rosell died in North Carolina on August 12, 2006.

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Retired Col. Thomas Gerald Rosell, of 544 Hilliard Drive, Fayetteville, passed away Saturday, Aug. 12, 2006,
in Cape Fear Valley Medical Center at the age of 84.

Born Dec. 31, 1921, in Denver, Mr. Rosell was drafted in December of 1942 from Iowa State College while studying engineering.
He served in the enlisted ranks from private through first sergeant, then received a reserve officer commission, Infantry Officer
Candidate School, and orders to Italy in 1944. He was assigned to Company 1, 168th Infantry Regiment as first platoon leader.

He participated in North Apennines and Po Valley campaigns. He was decorated with the Silver Star by M.G. Bolte for Gallantry in Action
at Gorgangnano Church and Cemetery, south of Bologna near Liverngnano, on April 16, 1945. When the 34th Division returned to the United
States in October of 1945, Mr. Rosell remained on occupation duty along the Yugoslav-Italian frontier as a member of the 88th Infantry Division.

Mr. Rosell received a regular army commission in 1947 and remained on continuous active duty until retirement in 1974 with 32 years of infantry
service during three wars: World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. During the second of three tours in Vietnam over a 16-year period,
Mr. Rosell received his second award of the Silver Star for Gallantry in Action while serving as an infantry battalion commander in the 4th Infantry
Division located in the Central Highlands. He also served as G3, operations officer on the general staff of the 4th Infantry Division.

Other decorations and medals during his career included the Bronze Star Medal, 2nd and 3rd oak leaf cluster; Combat Infantrymans Badge, 2nd
Award; Good Conduct Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Army Occupation Medal; Parachute Badge; Glider Badge; Master Parachutist Badge;
Distinguished Pistol Shot Badge; American Campaign Medal; Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal; National Defense Service Medal, 1st oak leaf
cluster; Vietnam Service Medal; Air Medal, 1st oak leaf cluster; Bronze Star Medal with V device; Legion of Merit, 2nd oak leaf cluster; Vietnam
Cross of Gallantry with Palm; Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with 60 Device; Meritorious Service Medal; Joint Service Commendation
Medal; Staff Service Medal, 1st Class; Vietnam Technical Service Medal; Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star; Vietnam Cross of Gallantry
with Bronze Star; Meritorious Unit Citation; and the European-African Middle Eastern Campaign Medal.

In 1974, when Mr. Rosell retired, he became an active army volunteer. As the head of the Fort Bragg Retirement Services Office
Retiree Physical Examination Program, he was responsible for thousands of fellow military retirees receiving physical exams.

On April 20, 1999, Lt. Gen. William F. Kernan, commander of the XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, and his wife, Marianne,
recognized Mr. Rosell as the Fort Bragg Volunteer of the Year. He also received the Commander's Award for Public Service.

In addition, he was a counselor at the Retirement Services Office, Fort Bragg, served as a member of the N.C. Army Retiree Council
and volunteered at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Fayetteville.

Mr. Rosell is survived by his wife, Mildred Hope Rosell; his sister, Ellen Rosell Neary; his children, Ellen Ann Rosell, Michael John Rosell,
Kurt Peter Rosell, Paul Eric Rosell and Marisa Leyla Rosell; his stepchildren, Linda Dexter Allen and Theodore John Dexter Jr.;
15 grandchildren; and one great-grandchild. He was predeceased by his son, Thomas Patrick Rosell.

A memorial Mass will be held at 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, 2006, in the Main Post Chapel on Fort Bragg. Interment with military honors
will follow in Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery in Spring Lake at 2 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Airborne & Special Operations Museum at 100 Bragg Blvd., Fayetteville, NC 28301.

From the fayobserver.com website

Thomas G. Rosell's decorations which could be verified by 1st Battalion website

Burial:
Sandhills State Veterans Cemetery
Spring Lake
Cumberland County
North Carolina, USA
Plot: 8A 472

Grave marker for Thomas G. Rosell

Photo by Anonymous from the Find A Grave website

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