Irish Moses

Former Alaska Airlines pilot Robert F. Maguire Jr. died June 10th at his Northridge home at the age of 94, according to his son. He was dubbed the "Irish Moses" for heading up "Operation Magic Carpet" that flew 40,000 Jews from Yemen to Israel.

Maguire, was a Portland, Oregon native of Irish and British descent who worked for Alaska Airlines in 1948 when the company began to fly Jewish refugees from Yemen to the newly established Jewish state of Israel. The American Joint Distribution Committee contracted with Alaska to join the airlift when the Imam of Yemen agreed to let the entire Jewish population leave the country.

The operation was kept secret because of fears that Arab states would shoot down the planes as they made the 3,000-mile roundtrip. The planes were shot at, but no lives were lost during about 380 flights flown by as many as 28 pilots at a time.

Pilots were warned that their passengers and they would likely be killed if they landed on enemy territory.

Maguire kept the program going by creating Near East Air Transport after Alaska Airlines withdrew from the mission months later. Maguire told the Los Angeles Times last year that he was motivated by adventure more than money, but he never forgot the gratitude of the Yemenite Jews.

FMI: www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Immigration/carpet.html