(15.11.1891 - 14.10.1944) place of birth: Heidenheim an der Brenz (Swabia) A future field marshal and the "Desert Fox" of the Second World War, Rommel also had a distinguished career during the Great War, serving in France, Russia, and Italy. His father Erwin Sr., a school administrator, had served as an artillery officer. In the summer of 1914, as Germany mobilized for war, Rommel was a lieutenant and company commander in an infantry regiment. By late August, he had already demonstrated his military leadership in the Longwy area, earning the Iron Cross 2nd Class the Iron Cross 1st Class. Rommel was then assigned to the Württemberg Mountain Battalion, attached to the Alpenkorps, a unit which soon transferred to Romania for the successful attack on Bucharest in November 1915. October 1917 saw his 200-man battalion moving to the Italian Alps, where they played a leading role in the breakthrough at Caporetto. For this his bravery and leadership, was also awarded the Pour le Merite. As a highly respected and successful Wehrmacht field marshal during World War Two, Erwin Rommel found himself involved on the fringes of the assassination plot against Hitler and was ultimately coerced into taking his own life (in order to protect his family's honor) at the age of 52. http://home.comcast.net/~jcviser/index.htm/akb/rommel.htm
