Following in His Grandfather’s Wings

Stand for Israel | June 23, 2022

IAF pilot and his grandfather, an IAF veteran — (Photo: IDF Spokesperson's Unit)

For many of the young people serving in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), their service connects them with those who came before them – and who made Israel what it is today. The Jerusalem Post’s Anna Ahronheim shares one such story, of a young pilot in the Israeli Air Force (IAF) who’s following the example set by his grandfather:

Forty years after his grandfather flew Phantoms F-4 fighter jets in the First Lebanon War as a pilot in the Israeli Air Force, his grandson First Lieutenant B received his wings as a fighter pilot.
“B” (his full name cannot be disclosed) never planned to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, he enjoyed guitar and soccer in high school and never really thought about taking to the air when he got his draft to the military.
“My grandfather was a pilot, but we didn’t really ever talk about it,” B told The Jerusalem Post ahead of the ceremony at Haterzim Air Base on Thursday night. “My grandfather flew a long time ago…”
When B got his draft to the IAF and passed all the exams and stages, “my grandfather was really proud. We spoke about the air force all the time, especially when I started to fly and when I began to fly fighter jets. It was as if he was continuing to fly through me and through my experiences…”