1. Adolph William Schwimmer was an American World War II veteran who was the founder and first CEO of Israel Aerospace Industries.
15 Facts About Al Schwimmer
1. 2.
In 1917, Al Schwimmer was born in New York City, the son of immigrants from Eastern Europe.
3.
Al Schwimmer never used his given birth name of Adolph, preferring the nickname "Al".
4.
In 1939, Al Schwimmer began his aerospace career at Lockheed Corporation as an engineer and received his civilian pilot license.
5.
Al Schwimmer recruited pilots and crew, mostly World War II veterans, to fly circuitous routes to land the planes in Israel.
6.
Al Schwimmer reflected on what motivated these actions in an interview with Boaz Dvir.
7.
In 1949, Al Schwimmer returned to the United States and, in 1950, he was convicted of violating the US Neutrality Acts for smuggling the planes into Israel.
8.
Al Schwimmer was stripped of his voting rights and veterans benefits and fined $10,000, but did not receive a prison sentence.
9.
Al Schwimmer refused to ask for a pardon, believing that smuggling weapons to help create Israel was the right moral decision to make.
10.
Al Schwimmer acceded to Ben Gurion's request and founded Israel Aerospace Industries, of which he became the first CEO.
11.
Al Schwimmer was one of the founders of Savyon, but later moved to Tel Aviv.
12.
Al Schwimmer was married and had two children, Danny and Dafna, as well as four grandchildren, Orr, Ella, Sarah, and Avi.
13.
On June 10,2011, Al Schwimmer died on his 94th birthday in a hospital in Ramat Gan, Tel Aviv District, Israel.
14.
Al Schwimmer has been called the father of the Israeli Air Force.
15.
The film contains the only public interview Al Schwimmer gave in light of these events.