LAST week, when I was in el-Zagazig visiting my family, I got to meet one of the October War heroes. Mohamed el-Masri (62) demolished 27 Israeli tanks on October 7, 1973. He is not Superman, James Bond or a Hollywood star, but an ordinary fellow who never made it to the rank of general. Like many others, he was simply a very brave, humble soldier. His only wish was to be a martyr in the war and, if he were destined to live, to destroy a brutal enemy which had occupied our dearest Sinai. El-Masri was born on June 1st, 1948 in a small village called Shinbara in el-Sharqiya Governorate. After completing his secondary education, he joined up in September 1969. It was a critical moment, as the Egyptian Army was preparing for a huge battle, to restore its dignity after 1967, when Israel occupied Sinai. Our hero joined an anti-missile brigade, whose purpose was to destroy tanks. He was afraid of tanks but overcame his fear when he saw his leader praying to God, shortly before his martyrdom. It was at 10am on October 7th that el-Masri launched his first missile at an Israeli tank, reducing it to a pile of smouldering ashes. El-Masri went on to destroy tank after tank, including one commanded by Isaaf Khouri, who was taken prisoner of war. He went to see Isaaf Khouri in the prison camp. "Isaaf wanted to see me and he asked to kiss the fingers which had pulled the trigger and destroyed his tank, but I refused, because I thought it was a trick," el-Masri told me. Late President Anwar el-Sadat bestowed on him the Sinai Star Medal and even received him at the presidential palace in 1974. As we wish el-Masri a happy birthday, let us remember all the other heroes, many of whom died for the sake of our beloved mother, Egypt. Abdel-Fattah is an Egyptian writer for children. [email protected]
