The Unforgotten

In the north, these seven unique sites preserve the memory of fallen soldiers, loved ones

On February 4, 1997, Israel suffered the worst air catastrophe in her history. It was on that day that two helicopters crashed in mid-air near the Lebanese border and 73 of our soldiers were killed.

For years, just about everyone who had been in Israel at the time could tell you where they were and what they were doing when they heard the awful news. But as time passes, memories fade — and there were only scattered monuments to help us remember: a garden in the Negev dedicated to two of the victims; a plaque at Moshav Sha’ar Yeshuv, site of the disaster.

It took over a decade to come to fruition, but a new and terrifically impressive memorial site was inaugurated in February of 2008 near Kibbutz Daphne. We were up north on the day of the opening, and came to pay our respects. While there, we watched as relatives who had so tragically lost their loved ones walked slowly back and forth between different portions of this heartbreaking memorial.

Dozens of dramatic sites related to Israel’s modern military history are found within an incredibly small area in northern Israel. Here are seven completely different sites, along with a description of a favorite overnight stop conveniently located right in the middle.

Read the full article over at The Times of Israel