Quote:

---

"In 1947, David Ben-Gurion asked Marcus to recruit an American officer to serve as military advisor to the nascent Jewish army, the Haganah. He could not recruit anyone suitable, so Marcus volunteered himself. In 1948, the U.S. War Department informally 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.

He designed a command and control structure for the Haganah, adapting his U.S. Army experience to its special needs. He identified Israel's weakest points in the Negev south, and the Jerusalem area.
Marcus was appointed Aluf ("general") and given command of the Jerusalem front on May 28, 1948. As no ranks were granted to Israeli high command at that time, he became the first general in the fledgling nation's army (see Israel Defense Forces). (Aluf was then equivalent to Brigadier General. Since 1967, Aluf is equivalent to major general.)

He participated in planning Operation Bin Nun Bet and Operation Yoram against the Latrun fort held by the Arab Legion, which blocked the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which was under siege. Both attacks failed, but Marcus then built the "Burma Road to Jerusalem" - a makeshift winding road through difficult hill terrain, nicknamed after the World War II supply route to China. The "Burma Road" was opened to vehicles on June 10, breaking the siege of Jerusalem, a day before a United Nations cease fire took effect on June 11.

---

DogCo84 said:

---

"Cast a Giant Shadow: The Story of Mickey Marcus Who Died to Save Jerusalem"

Story of a US Army COL (West Pointer) who left the US and became the first modern General of the Israeli Army in 1948.

From Wikipedia:

Quote:

---

"In 1947, David Ben-Gurion asked Marcus to recruit an American officer to serve as military advisor to the nascent Jewish army, the Haganah. He could not recruit anyone suitable, so Marcus volunteered himself. In 1948, the U.S. War Department informally 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.

He designed a command and control structure for the Haganah, adapting his U.S. Army experience to its special needs. He identified Israel's weakest points in the Negev south, and the Jerusalem area.
Marcus was appointed Aluf ("general") and given command of the Jerusalem front on May 28, 1948. As no ranks were granted to Israeli high command at that time, he became the first general in the fledgling nation's army (see Israel Defense Forces). (Aluf was then equivalent to Brigadier General. Since 1967, Aluf is equivalent to major general.)

He participated in planning Operation Bin Nun Bet and Operation Yoram against the Latrun fort held by the Arab Legion, which blocked the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, which was under siege. Both attacks failed, but Marcus then built the "Burma Road to Jerusalem" - a makeshift winding road through difficult hill terrain, nicknamed after the World War II supply route to China. The "Burma Road" was opened to vehicles on June 10, breaking the siege of Jerusalem, a day before a United Nations cease fire took effect on June 11.

---

Amazon Link

---