LIFE IN ISRAEL
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FALL FASHIONS ARRIVING DAILY
Some Old Soldiers Are Not
Permitted To Just Fade Away
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CARL ALPERT
Special to The Jewish News
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36
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1988
aifa — To prevent the
Israeli military estab-
lishment from becom-
ing enslaved to the routine
and the conventional, and to
encourage constant renewal
of outlook, procedures and
strategies, army officers are
usually retired at the age of
40. Priority is given to
younger men who are not
bound by tradition, and can
create new and unique con-
cepts for national defense.
The system works, but
there is one notable excep-
tion. When David Laskov was
67 years old, all the
newspapers carried stories
about the oldest man still in
active service in the army —
but that was in 1970.
lbday, at the age of 85, Brig.
Gen. Laskov is still in
uniform — and is perhaps the
oldest man still in active ser-
vice with any army anywhere
in the world.
Many legends have grown
up around this man; the fact
is that all these legends are
solid truth. How much longer
will he continue? "As long as
I'm all right physically," he
says, "and as long as the ar-
my will have me." The
authorities show no signs of
letting him go, for Laskov
continues to be remarkably
productive, and is perhaps
one of the single most
valuable people in the entire
defense forces.
His assignment is as head
of an engineering corps unit
responsible for developing
military devices. Put more
simply, Laskov is an inventive
genius. His brain churns out
unique and original ideas,
some of them daring, and he
holds dozens of patents.
Literally hundreds of his
ideas have been put into effect
and have become part of stan-
dard operations or equipment
with the military.
Some of them are still top
secret, and can't even be
hinted at. Others include
such items as sappers' san-
dals, a special type of shoe,
like a big snowshoe, which
enables men to pick their way
through anti-personnel mine
fields with little risk; a por-
table, light-weight, inflatable
stretcher for battle casualties;
a floating bridge; a method of
laying mines from a moving
vehicle; camouflage equip-
ment; sophisticated rockets;
flak-proof jackets; new types
of smokescreens.
age. I doubt that I would have
There is hardly any area of
had similar opportunity in
Israel's military operations
civilian life."
which has not benefited from
The fact that he continues
ideas and improvements pro-
to be productive, he says,
duced from his fertile mind.
ought to stimulate some
David Laskov was born in
thought with regard to pre-
Russia in 1903, studied
sent procedures of compulsory
medicine, and was expelled
retirement at 65 in the
from school for Zionist ac-
civilian world.
tivities. He began the study of
What would he do if peace
architecture, but dropped out
were to come, and there were
in 1928 to go to Palestine,
no longer need for his
where he worked as a laborer.
weapons? In such happy even-
Two years later, he enrolled at
tuality, he declares, he is
the 'Thchnion, completed his
prepared to retire and engage
architectural studies and
in his hobby, sculpture, and go
practiced that profession. A
on trips with his wife, Zip-
number of buildings in the
pora. But until then, there is
Haifa area were designed by
still much to be done.
him.
He joined the underground
Haganah, and then
U.S. Sixth Fleet
volunteered to fight Nazism
Trains
In Israel
as a soldier in the British ar-
my. He was 38 at the time,
Tel Aviv (JTA) — Israel will
and because of his "advanced
soon be a training ground for
age," the British gave him
U.S. Navy airmen and Ma-
what was considered a soft job
rines attached to the Sixth
with the engineering corps.
Fleet, said fleet commander,
He served until 1945, and
Rear Adm. Kendall Moran-
went back to Haifa and to ar-
vine, at the conclusion of joint
chitecture, but with the
exercises at sea with the
establishment of the State of
Israel Navy last week.
Israel he donned the uniform
Israeli defense establish-
which he has now worn for
ment sources refused to com-
over 40 years.
ment. A spokesman said it
was not Israel Defense Force
How does he do it? He
policy to discuss joint
operates on the simple theory
maneuvers.
that there is no problem
The American vessels that
without a solution. One must
participated in the exercise
analyze a problem,discard all
with the Israel Navy were the
routine and conventional ap-
cruiser USS Belknap, flag-
proaches, and then with
ship of the Sixth Fleet; the
understanding, logic and pa-
80,000-ton, 90-plane nuclear-
tience continue the search un-
powered aircraft carrier USS
til the solution is found.
Eisenhower; and three mis-
Laskov believes that more
sile-carrying destroyer
than he has given to the ar-
escorts.
my, the army has given to
The visit of the fleet to
him. "I thank Zahal (Israel
Israel brought shore leave for
Defense Forces) for agreeing
some 7,000 officers and crew.
to keep me on even at this
P. Tiktin e r/Me d ia
HARVARD ROW MALL
11 Mile Road at Lahser
A Kibbutz Ha'on member displays a record breaking ostrich egg as an
inquisitive fowl looks on. The egg tipped the scales at 2.3 kilograms. The
previous record holder weighed 1.78 kg.