Arie Ben-Or Orbah

The only son of Yehoshua and Ida, a family long established in the Land. He was born on the 10th of Tammuz 5698 (9.7.1938) in Petah Tikva.

After completing his studies at the Weizmann elementary school in Herzliya he studied at the "Tichon Hadash" school in Tel Aviv and completed his studies there.

He was drafted into the IDF in August 1956 and a few months later took part in the Sinai Campaign. At the end of the campaign he was accepted to the pilots' course and completed it successfully; he managed to fly most of the Air Force's aircraft. He was a veteran officer in the career service of the Air Force. For two years he served as an instructor at the flight school, and afterwards he continued to advance within the flying framework and reached the rank of Major.

In March 1967 he took command of the "Fouga" squadron, and at the same time also commanded an advanced squadron at the flight school. He educated the younger generation of pilots not only professionally, for his aspiration was also to instill in them values without which he saw no point in the existence of the Air Force. He was enthusiastic and inspiring, and the commander of the flight school notes in his letter to his wife that his enthusiasm for the work knew no bounds, and that the pilots were infected with the enthusiasm and love of homeland that dwelt in him, and thus achieved unimaginable accomplishments.

Aryeh took part in the Six-Day War, and two days before he fell he led a formation of four aircraft in an attack on Jordanian armor east of Jerusalem; in this attack his unit succeeded in destroying seven enemy tanks, and despite the fire directed at him and the ammunition having run out, Aryeh circled over the area and brought another formation of four aircraft into the attack, guiding them to their targets. In this way many losses to our forces were prevented. For this service in battle he was awarded the Medal of Courage.

Two days later, on the 1st of Sivan 5727 (9.6.1967), the fifth day of the fighting, Aryeh was called north, and as he descended to fly low there in order to attack the enemy from the air, he was hit and his plane crashed with him inside it. This was near Amudiya in the Golan Heights.

He left a wife and two daughters. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Herzliya.

A fund was established to perpetuate his name, the proceeds of which will serve as a scholarship for studies. In "Yuval," the bulletin of the students of the New High School, his name was commemorated. The battle was described in the book "The Longest Month" by Michael Bar-Zohar, and also in the article by Dov Goldstein, "Yizkor for the Pilot," which was included in the book "Not by the Sword Alone."