Colonel David Marcus Playground

Ave. P bet. E. 4 St. and Ocean Pkwy.

Brooklyn, 11230

This text is part of Parks’ Historical Signs Project and can be found posted within the park.

In 1948 this playground was dedicated to the memory of Colonel David "Mickey" Marcus, an outstanding Jewish-American patriot who sacrificed his life during the struggle for Israel’s independence. He was born on February 22, 1901 on Hester Street on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. When David was seven, his family moved to the Brownsville neighborhood of Brooklyn. As a youngster, he excelled in boxing, baseball, and football. He attended Public School 109 and was graduated from Boys High School in 1919. After a year of study at City College of New York, he entered the United States Military Academy at West Point. Marcus’s engaging laughter and athletic ability won him the fellowship and respect of his fellow cadets.