Vandalized IAF memorial in Romania renovated
Israeli government renovates memorial which was dedicated to six servicemen who were killed during a training accident in Romania and which was smashed and vandalized a year ago.
The memorial was erected in dedication to the six IAF members who were killed in a Sikorsky CH-53 helicopter training accident in the Carpathian Mountains in 2010.
The renovations were carried out by the Israeli ministry of defense and the IDF in cooperation with the Israeli embassy in Bucharest. The Romanian government assisted by paving access roads to the memorial so it would be more accessible to visitors.
Last summer, the memorial was defaced with graffiti reading "you are pigs" and swastikas.
Eli Ben-Shem, Director of Yad LaBanim—organization commemorating fallen IDF soldiers—said, "Harming a monument is a grave and ugly phenomenon that we encounter in Israel too. Vandals damage memorial sites either maliciously or by negligence. Each time we get a picture like that, the bereaved family's heart is pinched. For the families, a memorial is oftentimes the only remnant of their fallen child.
"I am proud that the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the IDF have not given up and have restored the monument. I also thank the Romanian authorities who helped to pave the way for access to the site."
The accident occurred on July 26th, 2010, when the IAF CH-53 crashed during a high-altitude training flight in the mountains. The entire crew—four pilots, two mechanics, an observation officer and a Romanian Air Force officer—was killed in the crash.
Roughly 200 bereaved parents and Yad LaBanim officials on vacation in Romania hastily put together a memorial service at the monument. The Israeli Consul in Romania, Rina Dvir, also laid a wreath at the ceremony.
