30Aug1918 – 30May1945
Edison Days
A newspaper article announcing her death mentions that Rose attended Edison High School but withdrew prior to graduating to help support her family. No pictures of her time at Edison have been found. Rose is listed in the “In Memoriam” section of the 1946 Edison Wizard Yearbook.
Military Service
Rank: Private First Class
Branch: United States Army (Women’s Army Corps)
Rose left an important job as a skilled laborer at Foley Manufacturing to enlist in the Women’s Army Corps on 13Apr1944.
Originally established as the Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (WAAC) on 15May1942, it was not initially part of the Army but served “with” it. WAACs filled noncombat roles to “free a man for combat,” including:
– Clerical and administrative work (typists, switchboard operators, postal clerks
– Mechanics, drivers, and supply personnel
– Medical and technical support
– Roles in intelligence, cryptography, and even the Manhattan Project
The auxiliary status limited benefits, so Congress passed legislation converting the WAAC to the Women’s Army Corps (WAC) on 1Jul1943. Women gained full Army status, equivalent ranks, pay, and benefits (though still no combat roles).
Over 150,000 women served during WWII, with peak strength around 100,000. They worked both stateside and overseas, often under difficult conditions and facing skepticism or rumors.
After training, in October 1944 Rose found herself as a member of Squadron D, 1202nd Army Air Forces Base Unit (Air Transport Command) in Accra, British Gold Coast (now Ghana).
On 26May1945 Rose wrote a letter to her sister Cora in NE Minneapolis talking of her impending transfer to England. 4 days later, Rose and 66 other WACs boarded 4 Army C-47 transport planes to begin their journey.
Departing Accra at 0708 GMT bound for Roberts Field in Liberia, the beginning of the flight was uneventful. Rose’s plane reached the first check point at 0755 GMT. At 0920 GMT, Roberts field picked up a series of PAN signals (used when needing prompt assistance, but without immediate danger to life or the aircraft itself (e.g., mechanical issues, a sick passenger, low fuel that isn’t critical yet, or navigation problems), and MAYDAY signals (used to signal grave and imminent danger, like sinking or crashing) over the course of 5 minutes before radio contact was lost.
Roberts Field was able to identify the likely area where the plane was located when contact was lost, and British, French, and US aircraft and ships began a search for the missing plane. Coastal tribes were asked to be on the lookout for signs of the missing craft as well.
A small oil slick was spotted on the water, but no other trace of the aircraft was found. The plane crash and the fate of the 18 missing WACs was a national news story. Rose’s name appeared in print in at least 15 states.
Four days before the fateful flight, Rose had written a letter to her sister Cora in NE Minneapolis, Minnesota. In the letter she told of her upcoming transfer to England and her hope that it would eventually lead to her going home to Minnesota.
The plane with Rose, the 17 other WACs, and 3 crewmembers was never found. On 26Jun1946, a month after she had gone missing, the War Department changed her status from Missing to Dead.
A memorial service was held for Rose on 13July1945.
Rose’s name is 1 of 3,724 names engraved on the Wall of the Missing at the North Africa American Cemetery in Tunis, Tunisia.
Postscript
While many Edison women served in the military during World War 2, Rose was the only one to die while serving. The loss of 18 WACs shocked the Nation as it was the first loss of women service members overseas during the war. It was also the single largest loss of life of women during the war. Overall, an estimated 500 women died while serving in World War 2.
As such, Rose’s life and story is more well know than most of the 116 Edison Heroes from World War 2.
She is the subject of a short video produced by the American Battle Monuments Commission.
There is also a page on the ABCM website dedicated to Rose.
Private First Class Rose F. Puchalla – American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC)
She is also 1 of 2 Edison Heroes to have a dedicated plaque installed in their honor at Minneapolis Edison High School.
WCCO News in Minneapolis, Minnesota aired a news story about the plaque in May 2024.
In July 2024, the Discovery Channel series Expedition Unknown did an episode about the 18 missing WACs to include an undersea sonar search of the area where the plane is thought to have crashed. A clip of the episode is available on YouTube. The entire episode can be purchased or viewed via various streaming services.
Documentary explores 18 WWII WACs Missing in Action | Article | The United States Army
Edison Heroes 