The 38th Anniversary of the Yom Kippur War

Israel Defense Forces blog ^ | IDF

[nocamels]

Thirty-eight years ago–on the Yom Kippur of October 6, 1973–Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated surprise attack on Israel. The Yom Kippur War was launched on the holiest day on the Jewish calendar: The Day of Atonement.

Despite Israel’s final military supremacy, the war took a great toll on all participating countries, with tremendous damage and many casualties. 2,297 Israeli soldiers were killed, and more than 7,200 injured. Video: A snapshot of the Yom Kippur War Photos: Archive photos of the Yom Kippur War Read about a national Yom Kippur War hero and recipient of the highest military decoration

[Attention Surplus Disorder]

Israel came very close to losing this one. I hope the lessons learned shall not be forgotten.

[NakedRampage]

For later

[dfwgator]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of his, but in this case, Thank God for President Nixon.

[Lysandru]

Tomorrow night is my church's youth group board game night as well as Yom Kippur.

I am running a tournament of a small wargame called Across Suez: The Battle of the Chinese Farm in commemoration of the Yom Kippur War.

[jackal7163]

You could hear the guns 75 miles away when it was happening. I was two at the time, but my dad was a Vietnam vet who had moved to Israel and he was getting called up and his PTSD had him chain smoking. Years later, he said that he didn’t think we would make it because the news was so bad.

[Fiji Hill]

I wasn’t the biggest fan of his, but in this case, Thank God for President Nixon.

In my opinion, saving Israel was Nixon's greatest accomplishment as president.

[dfwgator]

In my opinion, saving Israel was Nixon's greatest accomplishment as president.

And the Left never forgave him for it.

[dfwgator]

God Uses US Presidents For His Purpose: Israel-Golda Meir and Nixon

http://www.christianblog.com/blog/revgenlink/god-uses-us-presidents-for-his-purpose-israel-golda-meir-and-nixon/

[maine yankee]

I was at Millington NAS. The base was one of many being used for staging for our support efforts.

The airstrip was wooded on three sides under the control of the navy.

We pulled security duty on horsback.

(I actually had a calvary sadle)

[jackal7163]

Years later, when I was in Iraq in the 2d cavalry, the house I grew up in in Tel-Aviv was hit by a scud missile on the first day of desert Storm. I joked with my buddies that it was personal now...

[SunkenCiv]

Wow.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks nocamels. Operation Nickel Grass not only helped to save Israel, it gave the US invaluable experience, while simultaneously humiliatiing the Russians. The US route was a quarter of the world's circumference, most of the flight path was over water, a good bit of it was near hostile nations' airspace -- and we still out-airlifted the commie bastards. The great strength of the operation was coordinating the freight with Israel's needs on the ground. And, just to show off, a few times whole tanks were delivered, ready to roll. Nixon was reeling (and drunk or hung over) from the Watergate mess, was asked what to do vis a vis supplying Israel, and he ordered, "you will send everything that will fly." Not much ambivalence there, eh? ;')

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The Yom Kippur War: And the Airlift Strike That Saved Israel by Walter J. Boyne Kindle Edition The Two O'Clock War: The 1973 Yom Kippur Conflict and the Airlift That Saved Israel (Hardcover)

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[El Gato]

I’m getting old. I was a USAF 2LT at the time of the Yom Kippur war. The only effect on our base was that my folks couldn’t come on base, the only time they visited us while I was on active duty. Spouses of the civilian workers, there more of them than blue-suiters, couldn’t get on base either. Many a civil servant had to walk to the gate or from the gate to their workplace, rather than be dropped off or picked up near the door. :)

We were however technically at DefCon 3, something that would not happen again until 9-11-2001.

However, later, after the cease fire, I also saw an El Al 747 on the ramp at Wright Patterson, in the cargo area, probably picking up supplies from the Mama-AMA. (Air Logistics centers were called Air Material Areas in 1973, and WP was the HQ of Logistics Command)

Even worse, I was between my junior and senior years in high school for the 6 day war. I remember it well too.

[SunkenCiv]

Thanks El Gato.