Today, I’d like to turn the pages of our journey through Egyptian history to a contemporary page that has proved to the entire world the Egyptians’ originality, courage and championships, which accounts fill the world; this is the great story of October, whose memory will never fade throughout years and times, but rather it will remain to be a renewed encounter with Egyptian championships of a glitter has remained over the days.
The Egyptian championships extended to all the Egyptian army forces, branches and areas: Air Defense, Air Force, Naval Forces, and Land Forces; to draw the features of the “Victory of October”, which had its first steps inside the hearts and wills of the country’s children immediately after the defeat in 1967; it was a miraculous victory deemed impossible by the world military experts, “Mustafa Al-Beltagy”, one of the Paratroopers heroes in October War, said:
“The Victory of October” was one of the miracles made by the Egyptian officer and the Egyptian soldier… they offered championships and sacrifices that were beyond description, as a ransom for Egypt’s dust… Many military experts around the world deemed it impossible to be achieved. Yet, Egypt planned for the war, deceived the world, carried the plan out and achieved victory, thus, it fascinated the entire world, restored its dignity and lands, and this is the most important thing and the real result of this victory.”
Dedicated work and continuous effort in meticulous workouts were the way to achieve the miracle of victory, accompanied by fervent feelings of the desire to restore dignity and every grain of the dust of Egypt. This became the first purpose set in the mind and heart of every Egyptian, so the War of Attrition was raged, where the heroes of Egypt advanced a battle after another in a rare valor, disparaging their lives, offering their blood for the ransom of Egypt, until they achieved the victory on the sixth of October.
Titles were given to many of our heroes, to name a few: Russians gave the title “The Twentieth Century Legend of Low-Flying” to Brigade, Samir Aziz Mikhail who managed to drop four Phantom aircrafts, one of which was driven by the best Israeli pilot at that time. Israelis gave the title “The Crazy Pilot” to Pilot Ahmed Kamal al Mansouri, who mastered maneuvering the enemy with his aircraft during the air clashes in a way that was beyond the laws of physics and aviation, that one of the Israeli channels produced a movie recounting some of the innovations of “Al Mansouri” in the time of clashes.
As the blood of all Egyptians; Muslims and Christians was mixed for the sake of the country, all the army heroes were fighting with one spirit. Maj. Gen. Fayez Abdul Aziz recounts his memories about the day of the war, mentioning that orders were issued to the soldiers to break their fast on the Sixth day of October. He said: “I gathered the soldiers, held the flask in my hand, drank, and said: there are issued orders to break your fast; then I gave it to Fawzi Abu Shadi, one of the close soldiers to me, and told him, “Drink, Abu Shadi” yet, his reply was: “Excuse me, sir, I will not break my fast, but I will die fasting”. I passed by all the soldiers who completely refused to break their fast, until I reached a Christian soldier, to whom I said: “Break your fast” He replied: “Why it would be me who breaks his fast?! Is it because I am a Christian? I will not break my fast, but I will die fasting.” Thus were the heroes of Egypt, and so is the victory.
There are many stories of national and Egyptian championships, which have showed the depth of love that characterized the heroes of Egypt, where you can see each of them sacrificing to save others’ lives in a song which echoed in all fields of battles, in championships that cannot be expressed by words; Maj. Gen. Pilot Medhat Abdel Tawab recounts what he saw in the war when he participated in the clashes with the enemy’s aircraft, and he managed to drop two planes with his division, but … and …Stories never end in beautiful Egypt!
The General Bishop
Head of Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center
