(Miami Herald) Howard Cohen - Gideon Lichtman, who died Wednesday at 94, was the first fighter pilot in the Israeli air force to shoot down an enemy fighter in aerial combat. On June 8, 1948, he shot down one of the Egyptian Spitfires that were shooting up Tel Aviv. Lichtman would end up flying 90 missions, crashing at least once. His son Bruce said, "He was told by Ezer Weizman, president of Israel and former minister of defense, that Israel had intercepted Arab intelligence that they were intent on targeting foreign pilots who served in Israel." Weizman, Lichtman's roommate in 1948, told his pal, "Your life is in danger." So for over 30 years, his students at Southwest Miami Senior High knew him as Mr. Rimon. Lichtman told the Miami Herald in 1998, "Every guy we flew with in Israel has the same feeling I have, that this was the highlight of their lives. I'm a Jew and I love that country. There was a real need to establish a state in Israel, because Jews were being persecuted around the world and needed a place to live."
2018-03-16 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive