By Sheila Orysiek
SAN DIEGO — After ejecting from his burning Mirage fighter jet and while drifting down in his parachute from a height of 10,000 feet over Egypt, Israel’s first fighter pilot ace, Giora Romm, had much to think about. He could see a growing crowd of angry Egyptians looking up at him and brandishing clubs and other weapons. It was Sept. 11, 1969 and Israel and Egypt were at war.
What follows is the gripping story told in Solitary: The Crash, Captivity, and Comeback of an Ace Fighter Pilot, by Giora Romm, (Black Irish Entertainment Publishers, 2014), of how being grievously wounded during ejection from his plane, he suffers through and overcomes the tribulations of being a POW.
____________________
From the Jewish library
____________________
Romm is given basic medical treatment and both of his legs and one arm are set incorrectly and encased in a plaster cast – he is totally helpless. With a cement slab for a bed, he is kept in solitary confinement. During interrogations, beatings and days without food, it is imperative that he keep vital military information as well as his true identity from his captors.
Eventually returned to Israel in a prisoner exchange, he fights back from severe physical disabilities to combat status – once again flying against Israel’s enemies. But his biggest battle is with himself; overcoming the terrible mental stress of returning to the scene of his trauma.
As an officer and a squadron commander, he tells his story with enough emotion for the reader to participate, but not with the intent to claim the reader’s pity. That’s the last thing he wants.
What truly shines through his words is his love for his country and his determination to defend it.
*
Orysiek is a freelance writer who specializes in arts and literature. Comments may be made in the space provided below this article or sent to the author at sheila.orysiek@sdjewishworld.com
Years ago I had the privilege of discussing Giora Romm’s ordeal with him. His unique view of the world, intelligence and wry sense of humor make him unforgettable. What makes his book so compelling (beyond the obvious) is how it so vividly conveys his personality, it feels as if you are sitting across from him at a cafe listening to his story. I highly recommend reading this book, you will turn the last page feeling you have spent time with someone you are happy to have gotten to know.