re: #415 MandyManners

An Israel Air Force pilot, the son of an astronaut who died aboard the space shuttle Columbia in 2003, was killed Sunday in an F-16 fighter jet crash, Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

SNIP

[Link: cnnwire.blogs.cnn.com…]

Ilan Ramon was also the pilot who dropped the missile into Sadaam Hussein’s nuclear reactor (or processing plant) in 1981. It was his first mission as a young air force pilot. A number of pilots flew over the reactors. Ilan had the last position, the most dangerous if they were shot at. He volunteered to do it because as a young man, he didn’t have a wife and children waiting at home. He was successful, of course!

The first Israeli astronaut, he also took a Torah into space which was used by a rabbi at Bergen-Belson concentration camp. It’s a beautiful sad story.

weststreetproductions.com

Very sad to hear more tragedy for this family. Two very brave men.