Avni, Eitan
Son of Leah and Isaac, was born on July 13, 1962 in San Francisco, USA. The father was sent to the United States on behalf of the National Institutions and when Eitan was one year old, the family returned to Israel. Eitan was the youngest son in the family with three other daughters. When the family returned to Israel, she lived in Jerusalem, and Eitan completed his elementary and high school studies at the Hebrew Gymnasium in Rehavia. He was active in the Gadna and his favorite sport was scuba diving and water skiing, and he wrote his final thesis at the gymnasium in biology, writing on the fish, he loved music, he started to play piano, but he preferred playing with wind instruments. Eitan was fond of his friends in the neighborhood and at school, loved to help others and was very sensitive to the issue of justice, but at the age of 16 he was orphaned by his father, but despite his pain he dealt with the tragedy in the family and tried to encourage his mother and sisters. After graduating from the Gymnasium, he went on a tour of the United States, and therefore delayed the date of the pre-military examinations of the IAF. He completed his military training course in the Armored Corps, and was promoted to the rank of sergeant in November 1981. He wanted to be transferred to the Merkava tank, and then participated in a team of officers. Eitan was assigned to serve as a liaison officer in the tank of the deputy commander of the brigade, and on the 7th of Sivan 5762 (7.6.1982) he was stationed on the half-track that broke out at the outskirts of Tire. A burst of shots fired by the enemy hit him and put an end to his life. He was 20 when he died. Defense Minister Ariel Sharon wrote to his family: “Eitan served in the Armored Corps and was a model soldier, with personal integrity, with leadership ability, who loved everything.” The commander of his unit wrote: “Sergeant Avni Eitan was killed and killed in the rescue operation of soldiers who were wounded on the outskirts of the city of Tzur. He went into battle with a sense of supreme mission. ” Eitan was laid to rest on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem. He left behind a mother and three sisters.
