Ariel, Ehud (Udi)
Son of Miriam and Yehuda, he was born on the 5th of Av, 5708 (June 5, 1955) in Tel Aviv. He attended the “Hillel” elementary school in the city, and then went on to graduate from Rogozin High School. Ehud was a diligent student and always aspired to achieve, but he was careful to participate in the social events in his school and in various activities in the Hanoar Haoved Vehalomed movement. He was always surrounded by friends who loved him very much because he was lively, with an extraordinary sense of humor, sociable and optimistic. Ehud was an excellent soccer player and participated regularly in training and games of the Hapoel Kfar Shalem team. Even when he was a young boy, he had a sense of responsibility and leadership ability, and he was sent to a training course for Gadna commanders and served in training positions. Ehud was drafted into the IDF in early 1973 and volunteered to serve in the Paratroopers Brigade, and served as a lieutenant colonel. After the course he was placed in the unit and served as a platoon commander. He was praised by his commanders, and in their opinion they marked him as a disciplined and reliable officer who took care of his soldiers and carried out his task with great efficiency, while taking the initiative. His constant smile and his easy temper were reassuring to those around him, and he appreciated and loved his subordinates. Ehud was promoted in ranks and positions, and after he became deputy, he was appointed company commander. He also fulfilled this role faithfully and conscientiously, to the satisfaction of his commanders. When he completed his regular army service, Ehud volunteered for a regular army service, which he extended several times, until the end of September 1978. He married his girlfriend Limor and his son Tomer was born a year later. With his wife he set up a plan to move to an agricultural settlement in the Galilee, in order to realize his love for nature and the land, and he began to study agriculture and to work for the family. He worked as a computer operator at Bank Hapoalim. In July 1982, during the cease-fire in Lebanon, he was summoned to report with his soldiers in the eastern sector of Lebanon. He commanded a reconnaissance force when they encountered an ambush by terrorists. While attacking the assailants, Ehud was hit in the head. On 1 Av, July 21, 1982, Ehud fell in battle in Lebanon and was brought to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul, leaving behind a wife and son, parents and four brothers. One of them said: “Can you talk about Ehud in the style of “he was?” In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, the defense minister wrote: “Major Ehud Ariel was an excellent commander who had the ability to lead and was loved by his soldiers … He was always calm and confident in the capabilities and abilities of his soldiers.” His parents donated Torah scrolls to the synagogue near their home. The newspapers published short articles about his character and his ways.
