A Very Special Memorial Service at West Point

By Gary Konecky

What do the following have in common:

Yom Ha Zikaron, May 2, 2006 / 4^th day of Iyyar 5766,

Yom Ha Atzma’ut, May 3, 2006 / 5^th day of Iyyar 5766,

Yom Yerushalayin, May 26, 2006 / 28^th day of Iyyar 5766,

Memorial Day, May 29, 2006,

and May 21, 2006 / 23^rd day of Iyyar 5766?

Yom Ha Zikaron is Israel’s Memorial Day, the day set aside to commemorate those who laid their lives down in defense of Israel (including those security guards who gave their lives to save the lives of others during terrorist attacks). Yom Ha Atzma’ut is Israel’s Independence Day. Yom Yerushalayim is Jerusalem Day and commemorates the re-unification of Jerusalem in 1967. Memorial Day is the day the United States commemorates those who made the ultimate sacrifice in defense of the United States.

May 21, 2006, fits perfectly in between these dates and the events they commemorate. On May 21, 2006, the 40^th Memorial and Commemoration Service was held at the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point to honor Col. David “Mickey” Marcus (United States Army), Commander of the Jerusalem Front during Israel’s War of Independence. May 21 also saw a graveside ceremony commemorating the other 39 members of American Veterans of Israel (AVI) who lost their lives in Israel’s War of Independence. Many of those AVI volunteers had served in the allied armed forces in World War II and had personally experienced combat. Those AVI volunteers were Jew and non-Jew, Americans and Canadians. They, together with other volunteers from all over the world were Machal, foreign volunteers in Israel’s War of Independence.

Machal brought something desperately needed by the Jewish state; experienced soldiers, sailors, aviators, radar operators, and others with crucial skills needed by a modern military. Machal included doctors and nurses with experience in treating those wounded in combat. Aliyah Bet were experienced sailors and members of the merchant marine who volunteered to sail the Haganah ships (the most famous being Exodus 1947) smuggling the remains of European Jewry into then British administered Palestine. Machal volunteers formed the Israeli Air Force.

Machal volunteers “Mickey” Marcus, Paul Shulman (a twenty-six year old United States Naval Academy at Annapolis graduate) who was the Israeli Navy’s first commander, and Rudy Augarten who was the Israeli Air Force’s leading ace, were among the Machal volunteers who assumed leadership positions in the Israel Defense Forces during the Israeli War of Independence.

The year 1948 saw something amazing, the re-birth of Israel. Two thousand years earlier, Israel was defeated by the then invincible Roman Empire. For years afterward, the Jews staged uprising after uprising against Rome. For 2000 years, there was no Israel. Then in May 1948, Israel was born. For the first time in 2000 years, Israel had an army; an army led by an Aluf (General). The first person in 2000 years to have that rank, Aluf, was an American, Col. “Mickey” Marcus, graduate of the USMA at West Point, Class of 1924. Col. Marcus was killed at his post outside of Jerusalem during the Israeli War of Independence. He was buried at West Point, 28 years to the day after he first reported to West Point as a plebe. Col. Marcus is the only Israeli General buried outside of Israel and the only US solider buried at West Point who died under a foreign flag. To say this, is to say little about the man and his accomplishments, yet this alone is enough to make the man uniquely worthy of honor and to be called a hero.

On May 21, 2006, in full military tradition, AVI, and the USMA at West Point honored one of there own, David “Mickey” Marcus. His tombstone, made of pink granite from Israel, reads "Colonel David Marcus--A Soldier for All Humanity."

On May 21, 2006, AVI and the USMA at West Point paid military honors to 39 other Machal volunteers from the US and Canada who died in Israel’s War of Independence. The names of the fallen that were honored can be found at http://www.israelvets.com/killedinaction.asp

For more information, please visit the following websites:

http://www.sabranet.com/machal/english.html

http://www.israelvets.com/

http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/History/Farouk.html

http://www.elknet.pl/acestory/augarten/augarten.htm

http://historynet.com/mh/bldavidmarcus/index.html

http://www.jerusalemdiaries.com/article/13

http://www.usma.edu/PublicAffairs/PV/050520/mickey.htm

I conclude with the words of the late Yitzhak Rabin, who said of Machal, “they came to us when we most needed them, during those difficult, uncertain days of our War of Independence in 1948…”

PICTURES

(Thanks Sam Heller)

Banner	Chapel
Present Arms	Mickey’s Tombstone