Posted on 08/12/2005 11:13:43 AM PDT by Borges
YPSILANTI, Mich. (AP) — Dean L. Rockwell, an honored Navy veteran of the allied landing at Normandy in 1944 and who coached the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team at the 1964 Olympics, has died. He was 93.
Rockwell died Monday at a hospice in Ann Arbor after a short illness, Eastern Michigan University announced.
Rockwell was born on a farm in Cass County in southwestern Michigan and graduated from Three Rivers High School. He competed in football, track and wrestling at what is now Eastern Michigan, graduating in 1935.
He taught high school in Detroit, East Detroit and Flint before enlisting in the Navy during World War II, and he commanded 12 landing craft that participated in the Normandy landing.
"By using his courage and common sense, Lt. Dean Rockwell made the single most important command decision of any junior officer on D-Day by ordering his landing craft flotilla to keep their ramps up and drive on to Omaha Beach to deposit their battle tanks," Stephen Ambrose wrote in the book, "D-Day, June 6, 1944."
Rockwell received the Navy Cross and French Cross of War medals. He introduced President Bill Clinton at a ceremony marking the 50th anniversary of the landing aboard the aircraft carrier USS George Washington on June 6, 1994.
He coached football and track at Albion College in 1946-48 and the U.S. Greco-Roman wrestling team at the 1964 Summer Olympic Games in Tokyo. He was active in promoting wrestling in Michigan and nationally.
He is survived by sisters June Marks, Joyce Sucaet and Ada Gay Follis.
A memorial service is scheduled Oct. 16, 2005 at Eastern Michigan.
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