Egypt and its armed forces are currently celebrating the fiftieth anniversary, or golden jubilee, of the 1973 October War. This day will remain forever etched in the annals of our national struggle. It revitalised the Egyptian military, restoring its glory, dignity, honour, and pride, while garnering profound respect for our nation.
I vividly recall the time I joined the armed forces as a first lieutenant and physician serving in the medical unit of an armoured formation stationed in the heart of the Sinai Peninsula in 1965. It was during this period that I absorbed the fundamental principles of military life that emphasise self-denial and an unwavering loyalty to the homeland and a desire to safeguard its territory. I witnessed the relentless daily training regimen conducted by our brigade’s leaders, officers, and soldiers to attain the highest level of readiness for any future battle against the enemy.
I also recall the visit by the chief of the armed forces to our unit in May 1967, when he praised the exceptional combat proficiency it had achieved.
I cannot forget the moment when orders were issued on 13 May 1967 to raise our state of readiness to a maximum level in anticipation of a confrontation with the enemy whose forces were amassing on the Syrian border, as reported by the media at the time.
On 5 June 1967, we were surprised by the Israeli attack, followed by the tragic decision of our leadership to withdraw from the precious land of Sinai. This withdrawal, the cause of this setback, resulted in no direct confrontation with the enemy despite the high combat efficiency of the armoured formation in which I served as second-in-command of the medical unit.
After the withdrawal from Sinai, the formation was redeployed near Suez, where I witnessed the harshest scenes imaginable in terms of the suffering of the city. The enemy began shelling Suez, especially the Zeitouna district, leading to fires breaking out everywhere. The city’s inhabitants started evacuating en masse, using every means of transport available from cars to donkey carts and even resorting to travelling on foot.
Following this, I then joined the military hospital in Port Said to continue my service. This was after the first event that eased the pain of the defeat somewhat: the sinking of the Israeli destroyer Eilat by the valiant Egyptian Navy and resulting in the loss of a significant portion of its crew. The hospital’s director instructed me along with some colleagues to go to receive the bodies of enemy crew members in order to hand them over to the International Red Cross. This event had a profound impact on me, and at that moment I became convinced that victory was imminent, God willing.
I will never forget the joy that engulfed us during the almost daily attacks conducted by the elite units of the armed forces, including the Thunderbolt Forces and other units, as well as the attacks in Sinai and the attack on the Eilat by our navy’s frogmen. There was also the operation at the Dakar Port carried out by Egyptian Intelligence.
I will also never forget the day when late president Mohamed Anwar Al-Sadat announced his intention to clear and reopen the Suez Canal to international navigation in 1972. The then Israeli defence minister, Moshe Dayan, had stated that if Egypt decided to reopen the Suez Canal, Israel would participate in its operations since it controlled the eastern bank. This statement was a dagger to my heart and to the hearts of all Egyptians, further strengthening our determination to continue our arduous training in order to reclaim the beloved land of Sinai.
I cannot forget the unity of the great Egyptian people with our armed forces. The nation bore many psychological, economic, and moral burdens as all the state’s resources were directed towards supporting the war effort. Every family with a hero on the frontlines waited for victory and the liberation of Sinai, with the hope of restoring the dignity of Egypt’s army and people.
I can never forget president Al-Sadat’s delivery of his historic speech, dressed in military attire and his face radiating the signs of victory, before the members of the People’s Council and the leaders of the triumph. He expressed his determination to defeat the enemy and to reclaim the whole of Sinai.
I will never forget the way the Egyptian people expressed their joy at the great victory. During my first visit to Cairo after the triumph, one telling incident occurred. The taxi driver who took me home refused to accept any payment when he learned that I had come back from the battlefield. This gesture reflected the authenticity of this great nation and the unity of its people in times of hardship.
The writer is a retired general and a physician who took part in the October War.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 12 October, 2023 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
Short link: