IDF to promote Ilan Ramon to Brigadier-General

The Jerusalem Post ^ | 3 February 2003 | THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF

[anotherview]

Feb. 3, 2003
IDF to promote Ilan Ramon to Brigadier-General
By THE JERUSALEM POST INTERNET STAFF

The IDF reports that it is looking into the possibility of conferring on Ramon the rank of Brigadier – General.

Minister of Defense, Shaul Mofaz, raised the possibility Monday with Chief of General Staff, Lieutenant-General Moshe Ayalon.

Top placed sources in the IDF have confirmed that the army's manpower division has already started checking into the possibility.

Ramon has not yet been termed a 'fallen soldier' by the IDF, since the army is still waiting for a positive identification of the bodies from NASA.

Ramon held the rank of Colonel up until his death in the Columbia space shuttle disaster.

In addition, one of the buildings in new wing to be built at Ben Gurion Airport in Lod will be named after Israel's first Astronaut Ilan Ramon, the Airport Authority stated on Monday.

[pabianice]

Brigadier, Israeli Defense Force

[Squantos]

Such respect is fine for those family and friends that survive. But tell "your" Heros today, if at all possible, that ya love em and thank them in person before they pass from this world..........

Stay Safe !

[DoughtyOne]

[dennisw]

Sun Jan 26,10:41 AM ET

Israel and the Sinai peninsula are seen in this view from television cameras aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia January 26, 2003. Israeli astronaut Ilan Ramon is aboard the shuttle working in the SPACEHAB module on 80-plus experiments representing the latest application of microgravity as a fundamental, versatile tool to gain insights in space and improve life on earth. REUTERS/NASA (news - web sites)

 

Sat Feb 1, 1:44 PM ET

An image taken from Israel Channel 2 shows coverage of the Columbia space shuttle with the main headlines in Hebrew reading 'Crash of Columbia The Shuttle Columbia has blown up.' Space shuttle Columbia broke apart in flames over Texas on Saturday, killing all seven astronauts just 16 minutes before they were to glide to their landing strip in Florida. (AP Photo/Courtesy of Channel 2)

Fri Jan 31, 9:17 PM ET

An Israeli man watches the news at a Jerusalem shopping center of the space shuttle Columbia apparently breaking apart on re-entry February 1, 2003. Israel's first astronaut, Colonel Ilan Ramon, who appears on the television screen, was aboard the Colombia with six other crew members. U.S. Space agency NASA (news - web sites) said it had lost contact with the shuttle on Saturday shortly before it was scheduled to land at the Kennedy Space Center (news - web sites). REUTERS/Paul Hanna

Fri Jan 31,10:14 PM ET

Orthodox Jews watch news about the space shuttle Columbia in a shop in Jerusalem, February 1, 2003 as NASA (news - web sites) lost contact with the space shuttle Columbia and its seven astronauts, which included the first Israeli astronaut, Colonel Ilan Ramon. REUTERS/Radu Sigheti

Sun Feb 2, 8:36 AM ET

A group of Israeli students from Jerusalem's May Boyer high school react in front of a display February 2, 2003 in memoriam of Ilan Ramon, the first Israeli astronaut, who perished aboard the space shuttle Columbia among six other astronauts. Israelis mourned on Sunday the death of their country's first astronaut with a weary sense of familiarity with dashed dreams. The space shuttle Columbia broke up in the skies 200,000 feet over Texas on February 1. REUTERS/Gil Cohen Magen

[dinok]

Its sad that he had to die before he was promoted.

It’s sad that he had to die before he was promoted.

It was said of him that he was "too nice to be a general...not pushy enough".

The way I see it the world owes Ramon its thanks for stopping Iraq's nuclear program in 1981. His participation in the raid on the Iraqi Osirak French built nuclear reactor has probably saved the lives of not just Jews, but many of us Americans. He was our hero as well.

[MinorityRepublican]

Yes, we must respect Astronauts' sacrifices, and the important roles that they played for United States, Israel, and India.

We must go forward and continue to explore space. It's a risk worth taking, after all Magellan died sailing around the world.

[Centurion2000]

Funny but when you look at the map of the Middle East there you can see that Israel is green surrounded by nothing but wasteland.

[coloradan]

Funny but when you look at the map of the Middle East there you can see that Israel is green surrounded by nothing but wasteland.

It's not the land, it's what people do with it.

[ewing]

[wideawake]

Great pics about a horrible story.

Do Israeli teens go to class on Sundays? Do they at least get Friday off?

[Centurion2000]

It's not the land, it's what people do with it.

I know, it's just very interesting when the hand of a diligent people can be seen from near-orbit.

Just trying to point that out.

[coloradan]

Complete agreement here.

[Starrgaizr]

Yes indeed, it's what people do with it: Note that you can see clearly the international boundaries and West Bank. Jerusalem is surrounded by forests to the West, not east. The Ottomons destroyed forests, the Arabs overgrazed what was left. Israelis planted.

[Starrgaizr]

Guess where Gaza (Egyptian prior to 1967) ends and Israel begins:

[coloradan]

Wow! I have never seen that photo before. Makes a pretty clear case that it isn't the land, it's what the people who live there do with it. Which appears to be a political/social/cultural question, given the sharpness of the division.

[Miss Marple]

Funny but when you look at the map of the Middle East there you can see that Israel is green surrounded by nothing but wasteland.

I noticed that, too. May God welcome Ilan Ramon home.

[coloradan]

Come to think of it, the political leaders of the Arab countries could be sued for the environmental destruction that they are demonstrably causing with their policies. Forget about SUV owners!

[Churchillspirit]

Nice gesture of respect.

Should help with his widow's pension also.