Yohai Ben-Nun born on December 17, 1924, in Haifa to a Russian expatriate and a Palestinian Jew.

Ben-Nun joined the Palmach in 1941 and spent three years training and eventually rising to the rank of a squad leader.

Because the Egyptians would spot the boat and maneuver to avoid it, it had been decided that it would be guided by a volunteer sitting astride it.

Once on board the rowboat, he explained that the Egyptian searchlights had turned dark just as he got near enough to aim his boat and leap off.

Ben-Nun was appointed the commander of the Israeli Navy in 1960, a position he used to create a larger fleet with a better attack capability.