Survive and Tell (cont.)

I again participated in courses in the Artillery Corps and continued my efforts to improve my knowledge in various spheres. I read a lot, but mostly attended the courses that the IDF offered in abundance. The Chief Education Officer organized interesting courses on a wide range of subjects in Jerusalem. Every Friday, I went to listen to a discussion held between journalists and others at the ZOA house (Zionists of America). There, I heard a series of academic lectures by Prof. Arieli, about the history of the USA.

This course introduced me to the biography of Washington and Jefferson, which greatly impressed and influenced me.

My deputy, even though I was myself a Deputy Battalion Commander at that time, was a young officer, Lieutenant Yochanan Wiesenfreund, a graduate of the "Gymnasia Herzlia" (the first Hebrew High School and very prestigious even now). As the son of an amateur archeologist, he received the grade of 10 in his matriculation result for bible studies in view of his research work, inspired by his father. Yochanan was my kind of man and fulfilled his duties excellently.

After working together for nearly two years, I knew that I could occupy myself with things that interest me outside of the battalion and that he would take care of everything in the best possible way.

The daily routine in the battalion was monotonous and boring. There were no challenges. Everything was easy. I used the time to participate in advanced courses and to complete my basic and general education. This is how the idea formed to attend the Infantry Company Commanders Course, which was the most prestigious course at that time.

On January 1 ^st 1960, the day I that was promoted to the rank of Major, a particularly rainy day, I left for Training Center No. 3, then referred to as "Dora" Camp, the place where, ten years earlier I had completed the Combat Command Course within the framework of the Officer's Course. Yochanan stayed behind as my replacement and my driver drove me to the Infantry School and Training Center No. 3. When I unloaded my bags, my loyal driver was very sad. He watched as his Battalion Commandant moved into a damp hut in which the water reached up to the mattress. He offered, in his innocence, to take me straight back to the battalion because this place was inappropriate for his Battalion Commandant.

Even though I had officially received the rank of Major, I wanted to take the course as a Captain, because all the others participating in the course were Captains or Lieutenants. The Commander of the course would not allow me to pretend and it was strange getting used to being a Major after 5+ years of being a Captain. It was obligatory to have served as Captain for a period of 4 years before being promoted to the rank of Major, but apparently my year of studies was "not taken into consideration".

I had also received the rank of Captain after a postponement of six months because of the courses I had attended in England. All my peers had been promoted ahead of me, but this did not bother me because I knew that I was creating an essential foundation for my future promotion & career, an investment from which I would reap the fruits later on. I was not wrong and I do not regret this. The Company Commander's Course was vital. The course was a great experience and filled the void in my knowledge. During the course, I met officers from other corps and units that I had not met beforehand. Four officers from the Artillery participated in the course. We were put in four different teams. It was the same case with the paratroopers. In my team, there was also an officer from the Border Patrol. Some of the officers had served as Company Commanders and had even commanded fighting units in the "Sinai Campaign", or retaliation operations. The most distinguished of them was Lieutenant Zvi Baazani (later General Bar and the Mayor of Ramat-Gan). The Course Commander was an officer of the paratroopers, Efraim Markus.

The Branch Commander, in charge of the Company Commander's Course, was Lt. Col. Yekutiel Adam and Colonel Arik Sharon was the Base Commander. Unfortunately, some of the instructors that were already famous or, in later years, became famous as brave soldiers, died in action protecting their homeland, including of course the Deputy Chief of Staff who was loved by all, Yekutiel Adam, (he was killed in Lebanon during the explosion of a building).

The course took us to places that were new to me but, mostly, I learned about Jerusalem. We stayed for one week in our capital city and implemented great planning. We viewed the Jordanian occupied section of the city and learned from maps, observation and air photos about the Old City and all the hills surrounding the city. I will note only two of the many experiences that I had in Jerusalem.

After receiving a briefing following the exercises, we planned to settle, arrange the drill and prepare for the "final product", assessing the situation and submitting a written "Operations Order". Our team commander, Lieutenant Colonel Yaacov, who was 1.55 meters tall, told me that we were not "men" and that, in our place, he would first of all go and have a good time and complete the work in the morning. We accepted the challenge and invited him to join us. The first place we went to was the "Anat" a pub, very "in", where we drank beer and cognac, but mostly we had fun, sung and made lots of noise. Uri Zohar, (a very famous film director and actor, and now a Rabbi) then a student at the Hebrew University, asked us to tone down the noise and when we did not, he offered us a bottle of cognac if we would sit quietly for 5 minutes. This is how we won 2 bottles of cognac which we drank "like water", together with the drinks that we had purchased. When the fun was over at "Anat's", we went to the "Suramello", a very popular bar, and from there to another bar.

Lieutenant Colonel Yaacov boasted all the time how he was an expert at drinking and how he, as Commander of the besieged Har HaTsofim, had drunk UN officers "under the table". I was given the task of "drinking him under the table". At the third bar, I think it was the "Backchus"¨ Lieutenant Colonel Yaacov was "legless". There was a very attractive girl at this bar. Lt. Col.. Yaacov took a shine to her and asked her to go with him. Of course, her husband, who was handicapped, objected until Lt. Col. Yaacov, the fighter, pulled out his gun and threatened to take her by force. The police were called to deal with Lt. Col. Yaacov's threatening behavior. There was a big uproar. The next day Arik Sharon came to Jerusalem, released the officer from jail where he had been taken that night by the police, and closed the issue. Sharon was experienced at closing issues, even during the period of the 101 Unit.

During the closing drill in Jerusalem, I prepared the artillery assistance program. The artillery instructor was my friend from the Officer's Course, Lolo (David) Yarkoni.

The cadets accepted the plan that I presented as excellent, but Lolo Yarkoni strongly opposed it with fake arguments. I brought the issue before the Branch Commander and Arik Sharon to resolve the issue and my plan was accepted as the most favorable solution for the school. At the end of the course, I was called to the Chief Artillery Officer to clear up the matter, where I was informed that the actions I had taken had been inappropriate and that, although my solution was flawless, an artilleryman should not criticize the school's solution already approved by the corps. I did not accept the fact that a good solution had to be discarded in view of the "school's solution".

This course also had a marine section, executed at "Bat-Galim", which included assault from the landing craft. We sailed in navy boats and we were cast overboard, in order to get us used to the lifejackets. The concluding drill involved an attack from the sea on the asbestos factory, near Nahariya.

Testing floating gear at sea, before the landing exercise

After the landing at Naharya beach

With my colleagues at the Infantry Company Commanders course
(I am seated 2^nd from left)

  "Survive and Tell"     Yizkor Book Project     JewishGen Home Page

Copyright © 1999-2024 by JewishGen, Inc.
Updated 6 Jan 2005 by LA