On Thursday at Medatech in Haifa, the Carmel sailing community gathered for a fascinating and amazing lecture about the submarine Achi Dekar, its history and disappearance. On Friday morning, the flotilla was held in memory of the Dekar, forty-nine years late, on the date close to the discovery of the remains of the submarine and the eighteenth commemoration day in number.
גJordanian warrior A former colonel in the navy, put up a presentation and videos, delivered an eloquent and precise lecture and did not omit details. From the day of the decision to purchase submarines for the navy to the disappearance of Ahi Dekar en route from England to Israel on a maiden voyage somewhere in the sea. The review began in 1957 when it was decided to establish a submarine fleet and ended with the filming of the Dakar crew in Portsmouth, England before its departure, with interviews and memories.
Among those who added a number of words and literal memories of life in the lecture, was (Zebu) Avraham Or Ben Ze'ev, a former colonel who was a young officer in the navy and was supposed to sail on the Dakar and be part of the missing, but his fate changed him along with three others and they were transferred at the last minute For a second "secret" submarine Ahi Dolphin. So Zebo survived, remained among the living, suddenly lost 69 friends whom he remembers to this day, mentions in his lectures and participates with the bereaved families in the annual memorial in their honor all these years.
Ahi Decker, which was purchased from the British Navy in 1965, was renovated and upgraded and set sail on January 9, 1969, on January 25 contact with her was lost and for years her fate was a mystery, until after over thirty years and countless searches on May 28, 1999 at a depth of three kilometers and a distance of about three hundred miles The remains were found two seas from the coast of Mivathim.
Giora Jordani's instructive lecture, which was full of photographs, detailed descriptions and real life facts, prepared me for the next day's flotilla in memory of the Dakar submarine and those who perished.
The traditional cruise in memory of the martyrs of the Dakar - Haifa - 26/5/2017
On the morning of Friday before departure, we received a briefing from Yochai Palzur and Momo Cohen both regarding the behavior during the ceremony and the cruise around the submarine and also regarding the sailing competition that will be held after the communion ceremony with the perished of the Dakar submarine and the memorial.
Just before leaving on Itzik Abu Aziz's "Solare", we met his wife and her young girlfriend, who arrived late from Jerusalem and asked to join us on the cruise. After a short acquaintance I learned that this was Ziona Chai and her son with me, whose elder brother Aharon Aharon (Doga) perished in the disaster, served as a mechanic on the submarine Decker, managed to send a suitcase before leaving that contained unnecessary clothes including work clothes that smell of machine oil and surviving clothes that are with her to this day.
This is the only memory of her brother, which she keeps and creates from then until now. This suitcase, according to her, was closed from 1968 when it arrived until January 2017 when the Navy asked to photograph the items for commemoration.
Later I found out to her that there were no coincidences and that she did not just come to us on the boat and that she is sailing with two "Aharons" who represent her brother Aharon Aharon who she lost so many years ago and she was happy to hear the news and felt very relaxed. We sailed in a long "convoy" of dozens of yachts and ships of all models to the sea in the direction of the polynomial for submarines of the navy towards the submarine Achai Rahab on which officers and soldiers dressed in white Sard uniforms and prominently in the middle the mayor of our city Yona Yahav in black clothes. There were small sailboats of the various associations, Swallows and others kayaks and paddles of private individuals and dozens of yachts of Carmel sailors and guests who painted the sea white with about seventy masts. There was also a missile ship and a tugboat of the Sea Arm, carrying photographers and reporters and the "Queen of Acre" stood out there especially the ship with all the bereaved families. Wreaths were thrown A long siren was heard in the water both from the submarine and from several vessels in the vicinity.
It was an exciting and dignified ceremony, and we Carmel sailors circle and surround the submarine like a safety belt and watch from the side. The ceremony is over, the sailing competition is starting and we are "in Solara". With the distinguished guests, Ziona, Itai and Sarit, we are on our way back to Kishon.
The flotilla closing ceremony
In the afternoon in the Kishon Park, an event was held for the end of the competitive sailing and Memorial Day, under the auspices of the Haifa municipality, rich refreshments were prepared for the guests, a large shed for shading, hundreds of chairs, a canopy for the speakers and an amplification system. Yohai Palzur and Momo Cohen won the job, many words of thanks were said, a soldier and a female soldier dressed in festive white uniforms, officers from the Acre school led the ceremony and read excerpts, two others sang songs, on behalf of the bereaved families, Yehuda Farhi, the brother of the late Yosef Farhi, spoke and acknowledged To the partners, Oded Gor Lavie, a lieutenant colonel in the reserve, on behalf of the Dolphin Association, thanked for the cooperation and so did the others.
The winners of the cruise in the various categories were given shields emblazoned with the submarine Achi Dekar with the number C-77 and we said goodbye to a special and wonderful long day, in memory of the submarine for its sailors who were lost somewhere in the sea and that every year we will sail in her honor and be united with her memory.
