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Israeli pilot helmet found in Iraq

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3144893.stm

In two separate actions in the first week of June 1967, Azam had a distinction of shootingdown 3 Israeli aircraft.

On the first occasion, 6 June 1967, his flight of 4 hunters was directed to engage aformation of 4 to 6 Super Mysteres, which had attacked the major Jordanian air base at

Mafraj. At 14:20h Flt Lt Saiful Azam shot down Mystre IVA of Lt Boleh over Mafraj

air base.

Later his detachment was moved to H-3 airbase in Iraq. On June 7, 1967 at 1130 hours a

formation of Vatour light bombers escorted by Mirage IIIs, was in the process of

attacking the strategic air base at H-3, when they were intercepted by Azam's flight of 4

hunters. Flying in Iraqi Air Force Hunter (#702) he shot down IAF Mirage IIICJ flown byCapt Gideon Dror. Capt Gideon Dror ejected from his burning aircraft and became POW.

Moments later Flt Lt Azam brought down one escaping Vatour bombers. Voutour pilotCapt. Daror ejected and also became POW.

In a news flash of BBC on 12 August 2003 a helmet, reportedly found either at aBaghdad museum or at a memorial for Iraqi soldiers, was handed to the Israeli embassy

in Jordan by US forces last week.

US military forces discovered the helmet next to a scrap of metal bearing the traditionalblue Star of David insignia of the Israeli air force.

The helmet may come from one of four pilots shot down in the country during the SixDay War in 1967, Israeli National News website reported.

"Holding something like this in your hands makes you shiver," a senior official at theIsraeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs told the site. How funny the statement is! Who

shivered and left the helmet in Iraq in 1967?

On the third day of the 1967 war, Israeli fighter planes were sent on a mission to attackan Iraqi airfield after intelligence reports said Egypt had called for an Iraqi air attack on

Israel.

However Jordanian radar spotted the jets and alerted Iraqi forces, who attacked and shot

down some of the planes.

Two pilots were killed in the air attack, while two others were captured but later released

by Iraq. It is thought the helmet is from one of the pilots who died.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3144893.stmhttp://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3144893.stm

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Surviving pilot Gideon Dror, now 61-years-old and a pilot for Israel's El Al airlines, told

Israeli newspaper Yediot Aharonot the discovery meant little to him. "I don't get

sentimental about objects," he told the paper. "That period did not leave me with anymemories, for better or for worse. In fact, it's been totally erased from my memory."

It's natural that loser Gideon Dror will try to erase those memories from his head, in factif he or Israel could erase this from history they would do it. But we will never forget Gp

Capt Saiful Azam's bravery.