The Haunting Red Light To Entebbe Poem by Deanna Samuels

It all started June 27th '76, a hijacking of Air France A300 jet
flying from Tel Aviv to Paris, with 248 passengers and 12 crew
Members of Popular Front and fringe leftist terrorist group
diverted flight to Entebbe, having Ugandan support,
objective, to have freed 53 militants in Israel and elsewhere.
Passengers deplaned to disused airport building,
Israelis separated from non-Jews into another room
they, within two days were released and flown to Paris.
Threats to Israel by hijackers, to kill Jewish hostages
should jailed prisoner release demands not be met.
Immediately, talks were made of rescue - but how?
Uganda was over 2,500 miles away, would need refueling stop.
What type of operation? Who? How many? Routes?
Dismissed Lake Victoria as crocodile infested and with
limited time and intelligence, devised overland flight rescue -
basically, a do or die mission!
The most elite accomplished personnel were enlisted.
A re-painted Mercedes sedan as used by President Idi Amin
and same type Land Rovers as used by his security
to trick sentries and so hope to reach where hostages held.
Somehow, a plan was put together by highest Israeli Command.
Under darkness on 4th July, the daring rescue mission began -
Operation Entebbe.
Hercules C-130 planes flew over many countries to Entebbe
with hand-picked commandos, the truest 20-21 year old heros
their only illumination, a haunting red light.
The plane landed safely and the subterfuge plans carried out.
Shots were fired, a battle with Ugandan soldiers,
45 were killed, five Israelis wounded and one fatally.
Hostage terminal breached, short battle, all hijackers killed,
so too, sadly, three Israeli hostages caught in crossfire.
Commandos quickly steered hostages to the waiting C-130,
collecting dead and their own casualties to take them home.
This bittersweet unique rescue mission took just 90 minutes.


Written at Courtice, Ontario - August 2022