In an unusual ceremony this week, legendary IAF base commander and pilot Zorik Lev (Lev Arlozor) received the rank of Brigadier General 34 years after he was killed in the Yom Kippur War. The ceremony took place in the IDF Chief of Staff's office and was attended by current IAF Commander Maj.-Gen. Eliezer Shkedi, Human Resources Department Head Maj.-Gen. Elazar Shtern, senior IAF officers past and present and Lev's family members. Lev was the commander of the IAF's Ramat David base, in Emek Izre'el (the Valley of Jezreel).

"The Chief of Staff will give Zorik the rank of Brigadier General many years after he was killed," Shkedi said. "In this symbolic way he will tell all of us that he was a special person, a unique warrior and a brave commander who stood at the front line of the force in times of crisis and was killed like that."

Zorik's Skyhawk was shot down during an attack against Egyptian targets in Port Said on October 9th 1973. The sortie was described thus in the debriefing report:

"We flew at low altitude to Nahal Yam, and from there to Baluza. We continued at very low altitude from Baluza over the swamp, with Zorik flying 400 meters behind [Maj. Avraham] Vilan, and [2nd Lt. Shlomo] Zalt

"...he was a special person, a unique warrior and a brave commander who stood at the front line of the force in times of crisis and was killed like that."

zman about 2,000 meters behind Zorik. The AA started firing, mostly at numbers one and two. Vilan turned hard and strafed at the same time, hitting the water. Zaltzman strafed and made it past the reef. Zorik descended too steeply, apparently, slanted left and hit the water at a pretty steep angle, about one kilometer from the shore. There were no flames or smoke, and we saw no parachute. Vilan wanted to shout to him to pull upwards, but it was too late. Number three took several hits from non-explosive AA in his exhaust pipe."

The decision to award Zorik Lev the rank of Brigadier-General was taken by Defense Minister Ehud Barak and Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi, upon the recommendation of IAF Commander Shkedi.

The ranks were accepted by Lev's widow Tali and his brother, Avi.