LATRUN, MAY 20th, 2009

If you are visiting Israel, one of the of the many places you have to spend time after Jerusalem, Yad Vashem and Tel Aviv, it’s the Armored Corps Memorial Site, at Latrun.

The banners of the Armored Corps, a rectangular divided by a diagonal black and green mark the sites, along with white and blue national flags.

The museum stands on a dominant hill, at a very important road junction, and the ancient place of a British mandate Police station. By itself the Police station has a sinister history. But Latrun was put on the map by the bloody battles during the Israeli War of Independence of 1948, when the young Israeli army met a stubborn resistance of the Jordanian Foreign legion.

The Armored Corps Museum known as “Yad Lashiryon” has one of the largest collections of tanks, armored vehicles and equipment in the world, from the first tanks of the WWI until the release of the latest version of the Merkava Mark IV version A, maybe the best operational heavy attack tank today.

The collection of more than 200 real vehicles came after a long and arduous restoration work of original fighting machines and was made possible by donations only.

Many of the fighting machines, saw action in the WWI, WWII, Independence War, Suez War/Sinai Campaign (1956), Six Days War (1967),  War of Attrition, Yom Hakipurim War (1973), First  and Second Lebanon wars.

Some 25% of the exhibit machines are captured vehicles during fighting with Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq; some are unique, as the bridge over the Suez Canal or the first tank that crossed the canal, during the 1973’s war.

THE EDUCATION CENTER | The Museum it’s a lecture and training ground for the Armored Corps soldiers, NCO-s and officers, and as well, for the members of other IDF’s branches and foreigns visitors and donors. Every day, dozens of motor cars are pulling into the parking lot, unloading hundreds and hundreds of visitors.

THE MUSEUM OF THE JEWISH FIGHTERS | You have to see the art collection, paintings, sketches, sculptures, and a unique tower display by artist Danny Caravan (THE TOWER OF TEARS). Another hall is dedicated to the more than 1,500,000 soldiers of Jewish origin, that have fought during WWII against Nazi Germany, Italy and Japan, with armies in more than 23 countries, from the ex Soviet Union, U.S., Britain, France and as far away as China and Brazil.

THE WALL OF NAMES | The Northern place is marked by the monument dedicated to the 4,960 fallen soldiers, NCO’s and officers of the Armored Corps, since 1948 until today. More than half of the anodized aluminum panels (13) are dedicated to the names of fallen during the Yom Hakipurim war (The Yom Kippur War, of October 1973): they are listed in alphabetical order, separated by a black dot, and not by ranks or cause of death ( in action, training, or suicide).

the Museum it's a “must see” collection of real fighting machines, an interesting and educational historic place.

THE ARMORED CORPS MEMORIAL CENTER & MUSEUM

LATRUN  -  ISRAEL

TEL. (972) 08-978.4300

FAX. (972) 08-925.5186

www.yadlashiryon.com

By Hedi Enghelberg| hedi@enghelberg.com