The Birth of Israel (23 of 32)

The Birth of Israel

It was the strongest building in the place, on the highest point, and it was there that the Israelis set up their headquarters and decided to make their stand.
You know, it's been 60 years since I was here last.
60 years, that's a long time.
It sure is.
There's the wall.
And all those pocket marks from the bombardment.
From the shelling.
You were up here when you were wounded.
What happened? The truth is, I don't know what happened.

A shell exploded in my face and I got covered with shrapnel all over my body.
I couldn't see.
I thought I was blind.
The Israelis held on to Ramat Rachel, but the Arab Legion kept up the pressure on Jewish-controlled Jerusalem by cutting the supply route from Tel Aviv.
To reopen it, the Israelis tried - and failed - repeatedly to take Latroun, a strongpoint on the Jerusalem road.
The first time they thought it was defended by Palestinian irregulars.
Instead, they faced well-dug-in professionals from the Arab Legion.
We were encountered by tremendous fire of machine-guns and mortars, and so forth.