WORLD MACHAL - Volunteers from overseas in the Israel Defense Forces
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Edward Leonard Troyen
The son of Moshe and Malka, Edward Leonard Troyen was born in New York on 27th October 1926. He completed his education in the USA without any spark of Jewish nationality or identity. Only when hearing some words in Yiddish did he remember his background.
In World War II he served in the American Air Force in Europe; he was deeply shocked on meeting Jewish refugee survivors in the displaced persons camps where he came face to face with the cruelty of the Germans and what the survivors had endured. It invoked feelings of Jewish brotherhood, the fate the refugees had suffered and the problems of being a people without a state. He decided at once that he would fight, and perhaps even sacrifice his own life in order to achieve a Jewish homeland
On his discharge from the US Air Force he returned to the USA and signed a 9-month contract as a civilian instructor of mechanics and engineering with the army of occupation in Japan. There he made many friends, both from the Army and from amongst the local residents; he formed a special connection with the family of a Japanese dentist, and they continued to exchange letters even after he had returned to the USA. He undertook to preserve the Japanese custom of an annual memorial service on the date of the death of a friend.
After completing his service in Japan, he returned to the USA to study for a higher degree.
On hearing about Israel’s War of Independence, and of Israel’s struggle against an enemy with air supremacy, he sought out and found the right contact and offered his services to the Israel Air Force with no regard for the dangers involved. He left the USA with a group of volunteers, but on their flight to Israel their plane was intercepted and the volunteers were placed under arrest on the island of Rhodes. After their release, they flew to Rome, and were warned by the American Authorities not to intervene in Israel’s war, and that they would be punished for breaking the embargo and would lose their US citizenship. One of the group considered the matter, and returned home to the USA. The others flew to Czechoslovakia and from there reached Israel on planes acquired by the Israel Air Force. Troyen was kept busy servicing, assembling, repairing and instructing. In this capacity he made an invaluable contribution to the Israel Air Force on its road to overcoming the enemy.
On 4th July 1948 he called New York to speak to his father. He explained the great urgency and importance of his work in benefiting his Israeli homeland. His father agreed that he should remain and reassured him about his mother’s health.
Close to the second cease-fire, after Edward Troyen had completed his day’s work and was free and at leisure in Tel Aviv, he volunteered to participate in a combat flight. The plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, and upon landing he was admitted to a hospital in Haifa. The next day, 19th July 1948, he died of his wounds after enduring great suffering.
The following day he was laid to rest at the Carmel military cemetery in Haifa.
After his death, a letter to his parents was found in his pocket, ready for mailing. In it, he promised them that as soon as the proposed cease-fire came into effect he would return home on the first available ship.
Source: Translated from the Yizkor website by Joe Woolf
CATEGORY:PERSONAL STORIES 1947-49
FALLEN
TROYEN, Edward Leonard – IAF mechanic/engineer. Killed in combat flight
EDWARD LEONARD TROYEN
The son of Moshe and Malka, Edward Leonard Troyen was born in New York on 27th October 1926.He completed his education in the USA without any spark of Jewish nationality or identity.Only when hearing some words in Yiddish did he remember his background.
In World War II he served in the American Air Force in Europe; he was deeply shocked on meeting Jewish refugee survivors in the displaced persons camps where he came face to face with the cruelty of the Germans and what the survivors had endured.It invoked feelings of Jewish brotherhood, the fate the refugees had suffered and the problems of being a people without a state. He decided at once that he would fight, and perhaps even sacrifice his own life in order to achieve a Jewish homeland
On his discharge from the US Air Force he returned to the USA and signed a 9-month contract as a civilian instructor of mechanics and engineering with the army of occupation in Japan.There he made many friends, both from the Army and from amongst the local residents; he formed a special connection with the family of a Japanese dentist, and they continued to exchange letters even after he had returned to the USA.He undertook to preserve the Japanese custom of an annual memorial service on the date of the death of a friend.
After completing his service in Japan, he returned to the USA to study for a higher degree.
On hearing about Israel’s War of Independence, and of Israel’s struggle against an enemy with air supremacy, he sought out and found the right contact and offered his services to the Israel Air Force with no regard for the dangers involved.He left the USA with a group of volunteers, but on their flight to Israel their plane was intercepted and the volunteers were placed under arrest on the island of Rhodes. After their release, they flew to Rome, and were warned by the American Authorities not to intervene in Israel’s war, and that they would be punished for breaking the embargo and would lose their US citizenship.One of the group considered the matter, and returned home to the USA.The others flew to Czechoslovakia and from there reached Israel on planes acquired by the Israel Air Force.Troyen was kept busy servicing, assembling, repairing and instructing.In this capacity he made an invaluable contribution to the Israel Air Force on its road to overcoming the enemy.
On 4th July 1948 he called New York to speak to his father.He explained the great urgency and importance of his work in benefiting his Israeli homeland.His father agreed that he should remain and reassured him about his mother’s health.
Close to the second cease-fire, after Edward Troyen had completed his day’s work and was free and at leisure in Tel Aviv, he volunteered to participate in a combat flight.The plane was hit by enemy anti-aircraft fire, and upon landing he was admitted to a hospital in Haifa.The next day, 19th July 1948, he died of his wounds after enduring great suffering.
The following day he was laid to rest at the Carmel military cemetery in Haifa.
After his death, a letter to his parents was found in his pocket, ready for mailing. In it, he promised them that as soon as the proposed cease-fire came into effect he would return home on the first available ship.
Source:Translated from the Yizkor website by Joe Woolf
The son of Moshe and Malka, Edward Leonard Troyen was born in New York on 27th October 1926. He completed his education in the USA without any spark of Jewish nationality or identity. Only when hearing some words in Yiddish did he remember his background.