Operation Jonathan Gold Medal Commemorates Raid on Entebbe
bidask
Posts: 14,017 ✭✭✭✭✭
Named after Yonatan ( or Johnathan ) Netanyahu, the leader of Israeli forces and brother of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Johnathan being the only Israeli casualty.
I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
5
Comments
Just watched the movie. It was pretty good.
BST: endeavor1967, synchr, kliao, Outhaul, Donttellthewife, U1Chicago, ajaan, mCarney1173, SurfinHi, MWallace, Sandman70gt, mustanggt, Pittstate03, Lazybones, Walkerguy21D, coinandcurrency242 , thebigeng, Collectorcoins, JimTyler, USMarine6, Elkevvo, Coll3ctor, Yorkshireman, CUKevin, ranshdow, CoinHunter4, bennybravo, Centsearcher, braddick, Windycity, ZoidMeister, mirabela, JJM, RichURich, Bullsitter, jmski52, LukeMarshall, coinsarefun, MichaelDixon, NickPatton, ProfLiz, Twobitcollector,Jesbroken oih82w8, DCW
Never saw the gold version. This operation was considered miraculous by any standard and took the Ugandans by complete surprise.
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
Definitely had the ALMIGHTY on their side.
I give away money. I collect money.
I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.
It was an almost perfect(except the loss of Jonathan Netanyahu and the lady in the hospital in Kampala) textbook example of a rescue operation. It was helped significantly because the Entebbe Airport had been designed by an Israeli firm so significant knowledge of the airport benefited the operation.
The audacity and complex planning involved in a rescue over that distance and around or over several hostile nations is what makes the rescue that much more commendable.
Really pi#$ed Idi Amin off!
Taler Custom Set
Ancient Custom Set
I recall her name was Mrs. Block (not sure of spelling, might be Bloch). Amin was so furious at the raid that he had his henchmen murder her in the hospital. I think a French hostage was also killed when the Israelis yelled at everyone to stay down, he did not speak English and for some reason stood up.
The only Israeli military casualty.,,,,
They renamed the operation after the raid to Operation Jonathan in his honor.
The raid was on July 4, 1976, as America was celebrating the Bicentennial.
Thx for posting the gold. It is the only one of the three that were issued that I do not have.
I got one of the bronze versions way back when they were issued, shipped from Israel. Since then I have picked up several more when the price is low enough. I don't know why I need so many of them but I can't get enough of them.
Last year I finally pulled the trigger on a silver one. In the over 40 years since the medals were issued most of the silver ones have picked up some tarnish to one degree or another. I was fortunate to find two that were very clean so I picked those up. If you are patient you can sometimes find one for $20 or so over spot. (There were two manufacturers for the silver - I don't think one is worth more than the other).
I wonder if anyone slabs the silver ones - I's love to get one slabbed just for preservation purposes.
One other note - the gold ones were clearly die struck as seen in he pictures. The bronze and silver are much larger and almost appear cast. This might just be due to the process for preparing and applying the antique finish.
The bronze and silver are also struck, not cast. The gold version though has polished dues resulting in prooflike surfaces.
Without looking up the information, I seem to recall that she was a holocaust survivor. I've watched the movie and some documentaries.
The US military attempted a similar rescue of the hostages held in Teheran Iran in 1980 - it would seem that the Entebbe Raid could have been an inspiration - but Operation Eagle Claw was more complex with refueling stops, aircraft transfers, using RATO units on C-130s to land and take off from a soccer stadium etc.
I think you are right about her being a Holocaust survivor.
As I recall, the 1980 raid ended in disaster with some of the helicopters crashing in the desert.
They have the look of some large inaugural medals I have, which were "splash minted", i.e. minted with no collar and with no rims, and edges that are ground down to size.
Some of the silver medals also have what appears to be a die chip in the 6 of 1976.