64
Palestine 1948
Syrian soldiers had begun to breech the ridge where we’d dug in. I’d aligned the Jeeps with the .50 mm calibre machine guns, positioned to take their heads off as they popped up. And that’s what happened. With only four machine guns I had the Jeeps drive up and down the perimeter, but the sheer number of Syrians overwhelmed our defenses. We pulled back the remaining troops and equipment. The tanks would be used for cover and to fight a rearguard action. But first things first. Irit situated herself in front of the line of tanks. She signaled the sappers by raising her arm. I positioned six troopers in front of her. She’d become an obvious target. Just as she raised her hand, bullets slammed into the ground, ricocheting off the tank next to her. She brought her arm down
