446:] 10' looking for Red 1, could not find him and took off for target area headed for coast, followed coast up to Natanya, (150 feet, visibility very poor)... made run to target (E to SW) opened fire at 400 yards at Danaba (0 feet) made good hits on important houses (one of them a tower) and dropped one bomb from about 100 feet on Danaba, opened fire with MG and Cannons on Tulkarm Police Station and dropped the second bomb on Police St... West of Tulkarm (+Rd) made a 90 degree turn to N attacked 4 tanks (light British (Alexander)) registered hits (tracer) on all 4 of them (0 distance). No flack until hit right over tanks (50 yards) by 2 cannon shells one in left wing and 1 in belly. Went out of control (25 feet) and got a/c under control after being on my back. left wing crumpled up. Climbed above clouds. all instruments gone ... aprox over Kafr El Laba saw Spit a/c for the 1 time.... Noticed that Spit unidentified a/c made steep turn to left pointing his nose directly at me just over cloud base. I made steep turn towards him opened at aprox 300 yards saw two big chunks (like big chairs) falling out of a/c.... I headed for coast at (295 degrees) saw enemy a/c smoke trailing out of it heading for coast. By then I was on fire, left wing smoky. Wanted to get through emergency hatch but had difficulties .... I finally managed to get out. (1200 feet) landed in water swam ashore (kibutz people firing all the time).... Once ashore the kibutz people helped me taking me to hospital (Natanya) interviewed by Haganah when in kibutz.... Was sent back from Hospital by taxi to T.A. . Haganah was very pleased with raid...
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459:. His parachute did not fully open before he hit the water several miles offshore, and he suffered three broken ribs, several cuts, and an injury to his groin. He began to swim to shore, but gave up after "a couple of hours". He stood up, "and the water was only up to my knees. I'd been swimming for hours in water I could have stood up in at anytime. I didn't realize it because I was so far out. The farmers .... were shooting at me as I was coming in out of the water. They thought I was an Arab pilot."
33:
337:, to recruit U.S. combat air veterans, both aircrew and ground crew, for the Haganah's "Air Service". Knowing of Rubenfeld's combat experience, Shamir approached him in early 1948 and asked him if he wanted to fly for the new state of Israel. Rubenfeld â "a small, swarthy former USAF pilot, so cocky he seemed to swagger even while sitting down"âagreed.
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To keep up the pressure on the Arab forces, the second sortie launched approximately 12 hours after the first mission returned. At 0530 on May 30, 1948, Milt
Rubenfeld (Red 2) and Ezer Weizman (Red 1) launched in the only two remaining airworthy airplanes. Their mission was to attack positions around
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The existence of the tiny air force had been kept secret from the Arab forces that had entered Israel following its declaration of independence. Israel's leaders knew that the first time they made the existence of their four planes known, their targets should be critical ones. The initial plan was to
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However, the first mission on May 29, 1948 was not a failure. The commander of the
Egyptian ground forces was evidently shaken by the unexpected encounter with Israeli fighters: he ordered his troops to hold their position and advised Cairo that he was not advancing toward Tel Aviv. "It was as close
401:
Also on that mission, Lenart's and
Weizman's cannons had both jammed. In fact, there were many inherent design and performance defects with the Avia S-199, including a defect that rendered the cowl guns unsynchronized with the propeller, causing bullet damage to the propeller (which the first group
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changed the course of the 1948 ArabâIsraeli War. He was injured and returned to the United States, and settled in New York state, where he married and owned a local business with his wife, Judy. Later, he moved his family to
Sarasota, Florida, where he and his wife owned another successful business
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Despite its being widely reported, this version of events might have been a legend that simply "went viral" in its day. In an interview nearly 50 years later, Rubenfeld said that he couldn't remember what he was shouting, but that the moshavniks were indeed shooting at him. It is logical to assume
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soon after this mission, to receive follow-up medical care. He married a few years later; he and his wife, Judy (Rosen), had three children, with his family living first in
Oneonta, New York, then Sarasota, Florida. Forty years after his mission, Milt and Judy were cast as "atmosphere characters"
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On the ground the military situation was critical, and in the air the
Egyptian air force was king of the skies.... It could do literally anything it wanted. Its Dakotas and Spitfires bombed Tel Aviv and only encountered sporadic anti-aircraft fire. Of course there was no time to consider trifles,
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The problem for
Rubenfeld was that the Israeli Air Force had not only been a secret to the Egyptiansâit had also been a secret to Israeli citizens. Thus, the moshavniks of Kfar Vitkin assumed that Rubenfeld was an Arab pilot. Rubenfeld knew no Hebrew, and knew very little Yiddish, so in order to
364:, Lou Lenart, and Eddie Cohenâwere capable of handling the S-199, at least initially. (Rubenfeld and Lenart were the two U.S. citizens in this group.) These five pilots finished the course in Czechoslovakia and, on May 20, 1948, reported to their base in Ekron Air Base (now
388:, a base on the northern coast of the Sinai. That order was changed "at the last minute" due to the increasing danger of a direct ground attack on Tel Aviv. The four fighters were ordered to bomb and strafe the Egyptian armored column that was advancing on Tel Aviv.
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Since there were five pilots and only four airplanes, Rubenfeld remained behind for the first mission on May 29, 1948. One pilot was lost on that mission: South
African Eddie Cohen. It's not known whether he was shot down or had technical difficulties.
324:. These questions had to be shoved aside.... We swung out to sea ... and swooped towards the Egyptian column. The sight took my breath away.... stood between it and Tel Aviv.... I must confess I had a profound sense of fulfilling a great mission.
406:'s airplane did upon landing, rendering it unflyable for a time. Weizman later commented that the main problem with the S-199 was "the stress on the pilot. So much went wrong with the aircraft, it was nerve-wracking just climbing into one."
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As noted, the actions of
Rubenfeld and the other four initial pilots had a profound effect on the conduct of the war. The enemy was evidently so surprised by the presence of the little air force, that they stopped their advance toward
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such as the fact that had never taken off, or even been tested in flight, their parts had not been checked, no one knew whether their systems functioned or if their machine-guns fired. No one was sure that their bombs
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356:. After evaluating the results of that training, it became clear to the Israeli instructors that only those pilots with previous combat pilot experienceâRubenfeld,
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When World War II broke out in Europe, he wanted to fly combat missions; however, the United States was not yet in the war. Rubenfeld decided to fly with the
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After
Rubenfeld's fighter was hit, he managed to fly it to Israeli territory, bailing out at 1200 feet over the Mediterranean Sea near the
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that he said something to them to convince them not to hurt him, but it might have been less (or more) colorful than what was reported.
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Rubenfeld was debriefed on his return. The notes of the person who debriefed him were saved by the Israeli Defense Force (see sidebar)
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Rubenfeld's opinion of the Avia S-199, expressed in an interview nearly fifty years later: "It wasn't a very nice airplane."
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513:, Israel. They were able to salvage and mount the guns from Rubenfeld's downed fighter, which they used for their defense.
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as the Egyptians would ever come to Tel Aviv. With one raid, the air force had potentially altered the course of the war."
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In early 1948, Rubenfeld flew transport planes on a few missions to and from Israel, until early May, when he reported to
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Took off .... supposed to rendezvous with Wheizman (Red 1), circled our drome for aprox. [
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convince them he was Jewish, he reportedly shouted the only thing he could remember: "Shabbos,
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No trophy no sword: an American volunteer in the Air Force during the 1948 War of Independence
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set up an agency in the United States headed by Hyman Shechtman (later, Shamir) assisted by
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of pilots luckily did not experience). The S-199 also had a tendency to ground loop, which
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222:. It is widely believed that Rubenfeld, the other four volunteer pilots, and the other
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On eagles' wings: the personal story of the leading commander of the Israeli Air Force
372:âthese five pilots, along with four S-199s, constituted the entire Israeli Air Force.
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I am my brother's keeper: American volunteers in Israel's War for Independence
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in England, with the 420 Squadron. When the United States declared war on
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American aviator, one of the five founding pilots of the Israeli Air Force
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Milt Rubenfeld died in Sarasota on February 21, 2004, at the age of 84.
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In addition, Milt Rubenfeld's mission had an immediate benefit for the
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until he retired. He died in 2004. He was the father of actor/comedian
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parents, Gussie (nĂŠe Yormark) and Louis Rubenfeld. Rubenfeld was an
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World Machal: volunteers from overseas in the Israel Defense Forces
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650:"Pilots and others of the 101st Squadron (Milton Rubenfeld)"
265:(where he also hunted rattlesnakes), and taught aerobatics.
233:, who was known for creating and portraying the character
206:; September 13, 1919 â February 21, 2004) was an American
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No margin for error: the making of the Israeli Air Force
578:. Lower Hudson Valley. December 12, 2009. Archived from
214:, later becoming one of the five founding pilots of the
498:(which had a large contingent of foreign fighters, or
348:, where he and the other pilots began training on the
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who flew for the Royal Air Force and U.S. Army during
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United States Army Air Forces pilots of World War II
552:"Pee-wee Herman's dad was one of Israel's top guns"
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794:Avia S-199 in Israeli Air Force Service 1948â1950
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919:American Royal Air Force pilots of World War II
352:, a Czech airplane roughly based on the German
708:. New York: Berkley Medallion. pp. 60â61.
914:American people of the 1948 ArabâIsraeli War
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604:. American Veterans of Israel. Winter 2004
430:Quote from Transcript of Rubenfeld Debrief
276:, Rubenfeld signed on as a pilot with the
37:Rubenfeld as a member of the USAAF in 1942
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572:"Rubenfeld, Honorable Leonard (obituary)"
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831:. Chicago: Q, Inc. p. 130.
422:Tulkarm, on the eastern front.
758:. New York: Pantheon. p.
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502:) to become better organized.
417:Rubenfeld Mission, 30 May 1948
376:attack a squadron of Egyptian
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599:"Milton Rubenfeld (obituary)"
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310:Quote from Ezer Weizman, 1976
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131:United States Army Air Forces
859:1948 ArabâIsraeli War pilots
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879:Israeli Air Force personnel
827:Livingston, Harold (1994).
467:! Shabbos, gefilte fisch!"
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904:20th-century American Jews
884:New York University alumni
516:Rubenfeld returned to the
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329:In February 1948, the
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294:1948 ArabâIsraeli War
282:Air Transport Command
220:1948 ArabâIsraeli War
145:Years of service
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557:Entertainment Weekly
354:Messerschmitt Bf 109
259:New York University
247:Peekskill, New York
76:Peekskill, New York
671:"Milton Rubenfeld"
648:Nyveen, Lawrence.
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73:September 13, 1919
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288:Flying for Israel
216:Israeli Air Force
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88:(2004-02-21)
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854:2004 deaths
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608:January 20,
511:Kfar Vitkin
457:Kfar Vitkin
255:Eagle Scout
43:Nickname(s)
843:Categories
538:References
507:moshavniks
500:machalniks
397:Avia S-199
350:Avia S-199
241:Early life
225:machalniks
174:Judy Rosen
100:Allegiance
69:1919-09-13
730:August 7,
721:"Haganah"
655:August 1,
404:Modi Alon
378:Spitfires
358:Modi Alon
278:U.S. Army
171:Spouse(s)
148:1939â1948
680:June 11,
488:Tel Aviv
386:El Arish
322:wouldn't
261:and the
179:Children
117:Service/
434:5-30-48
331:Haganah
274:Germany
218:in the
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492:Israel
453:moshav
200:Hebrew
163:Awards
119:branch
109:Israel
95:, U.S.
78:, U.S.
602:(PDF)
344:, in
318:would
208:pilot
764:ISBN
732:2011
682:2021
657:2011
610:2018
380:and
188:Abby
186:and
184:Paul
153:Rank
83:Died
63:Born
52:Milt
49:Ruby
509:of
455:of
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