Aliyah Bet & Machal Virtual Museum

North American Volunteers In Israel's War of Independence

Gino Narboni

Gino Narboni, Machal Pilot, Dies at 92

Gino Narboni

We remember Roger Nathan "Gino" Narboni, a pilot who served three nations, including Israel in 1948, and died on July 16th, 2016. He was born in Constantine, Algeria, the son of a prominent physician. As a teenager with a thirst for action, he enlisted in the Free French Air Force and a few years later became a MACHAL. He received word of the newly created state of Israel's need for pilots and voluntered because he "felt strongly about our Jewish heritage." After emigrating to the United States, he served as a surgeon in the U.S. Air Force and retired with the rank of Colonel.