UN service in Golan, Libanon, any interest?

[Arto O]

Hi,
Not sure if this is any interest to forum members or correct topic to do so, but I have some photos during my service in UN in Golan heights and Lebanon on 1983-86. If so, please let me know and I start to send.
with best regards
Arto

[Bill Murray]

Hola Amigo.........

I think all would be interested in this type of photo history, it is not often seen from the "eyes" of a real participant.

I hope you will post some photos.

Saludos

Bill

[John Hilly]

I was in FINBATT-UNDOF in Golan 1981-82.
Unfortunaterly I haven't got time or effort to scan my photos yet.

Please Arto, keep them coming!

With best,
J-P

[Arto O]

Hi.
As maybe known by forum members, UN had peace keeping forces in Golan heights between Syria and Israel (known as UNDOF), as also in Libanon (UNIFIL). I was a member there, in UNDOF 1983-1984 and UNIFIL 1985-1986. A long time ago. So here I would like to share some pictures in my collection from those days.
This photos for Bill, finnish UN forces used armoured vehichles of their fabrication known as PASI, and each vehicle had its own nickname as the first one "KARI" (a male name) belonged to the base 40. These pictures are from Lebanon, used by mostly by Recce platoon.In the last picture appear a PASI in shooting practise. The machine gun was a some kind of russian.

[Arto O]

Hi J-P,
So you was also a "Vaitteri", a nick name from english fighter. Here from Golan Heights.

Home, sweet home As a finn, I knew to have cold, I thought, until experience the cold of Golan heights. Also one thing I learned there was not to piss against wind,

Some local ladies asking for a cigaret, I wonder what is their situation now.

[Bill Murray]

Smashing, Arto and we have a name we know to put together with the photos.

Now............we need a photo of you in both places so we have a name, and a face to go with your photos.

Bill

[Arto O]

Okei Bill,
Here the greatest war hero of all the times. In Lebanon, the medals are medals of time service.

Here as the chief of guard platoon of UNIFIL house in Beirut (the headquarter of UNIFIL in Lebanon). A funny photo, nothing serious. Obviously we got some stress.

[Bill Murray]

Outstanding and I thank you, Arto. We can now all relive your experiences through the eyes of a friend and fellow member.

Looks like you were a Ylikersantti (Staff Sergeant) in Lebanon when you were thinking of ending your tour early
Not a bad rank at all for what appears to be a quite young man in the photo.

Please do continue, I find it fascinating.

Bill

[John G.]

Outstanding and I thank you, Arto. We can now all relive your experiences through the eyes of a friend and fellow member.

Looks like you were a Ylikersantti (Staff Sergeant) in Lebanon when you were thinking of ending your tour early
Not a bad rank at all for what appears to be a quite young man in the photo.

Please do continue, I find it fascinating.

Bill

I agree whole heartedly..... thanks for sharing..... I remember "feeling the same way" about taking "an early out" a few times!
John G.

[John Hilly]

Thanks Arto!
The gun in "Pasi" - "Panssari Sisu" is 12.7 mm AA Machinegun NSV.

I promise I'll go to library to scan my photos from Golan.
I have e.g. pictures of destroyed T-55s near Pos 80, which we called "Panssarimuseo" -"Tank Museum".
Serving as Platoon Commander there, I was "The Museum intendent".

Another Pasi from Lebanon (Wikipedia):

With best,
J-P

[Arto O]

Thanks J-P for correction, photo and info about the Pasi HMG.

Somewhere spring - summer (I cannot remember the exact month anymore) 1986 Israel Defences Forces (IDF) "visited" the Southern Lebanon looking for weapons, ammunitons and members of AMAL and Hezbollah movements.
One of the days, I always will remember was, when a Israeli holicopter "Cobra" was shooting with its rockets and gatling gun the bases of AMAL in the village of Ett Taibe, just about 1 km from Finnish UNIFIL headquarter. We observed the battle (from a roof top) with the helicopter and AMAL forces, which in vain used their RPG-7 rockets trying to shoot down the helicoter.

Of course the incursion was with many ground IDF forces. As peace keepers, our orders was just to follow the IDF forces and report, if any unnecesary force or violence was used. Observe how the IDF members look one of our officers, because they knew perfectly that we weren´t able to do nothing to avoid the "invasion".

[Arto O]

One of our tasks was to follow the IDF forces in their house-to-house researchers. Reporting anything. There few pictures. The last one: the result of of the search.

[John Hilly]

Thanks Arto!
You really had much more action in FINBATT-UNIFIL than we in UNDOF.
The Finnish officer, the Israelis are looking at with amusement, is a colonel, maybe the FINBATT's commander?

With best,
J-P

[Arto O]

Hi,
I don´t like to tell about myself. But to answer to our respected forum members: each "detachment" (I don´t know another word), had certain quantities of ranks. So smaller, but more important detachment, there were more higher ranks available. In Lebanon I worked in the post office, Luckily there was a option to go to be in UNIFIL house guard duty, of course I took it. A chance to learn more .And there were a rank of "ylikersantti", so I got it, because I was the only person in the office to have it.
Now about the "suicide picture". The commander of the UNIFIL house, I will not publish his name, was not the best commander, so he caused us certain degree of stress. Now we were young lads with certain physical needs. I always remember the day siting in the balcony (maybe the date of the photo) hearing the tic-tocs of high heels of a woman on the street. It drove grazy. Just things of the life. Soon I will send another photos.
with best regards
Arto

[Arto O]

Hi J-P,
I cannot find the detail, but I suppose a company commander.

From Golan heights, Syria 83-84: Yes, it was very boring. To have something different I went to visit Syrian "askaris" in their fortress next our POS (base). The "fortress" was maybe 1 ha, made from rocks and sand, maybe 10 mts hight, inside they had a old T-34? tank in fixed position, and some concrete made bunkers, were the guys slept.
We tried to have chatting, one of the guys spoke some english, drink tea and beer. One day they gave an option to pratice shooting with AK-47 rifle.

with best regards
Arto