Cohen, Morris

Morris, son of Dizzy and Joseph, was born on February 13, 1950, in Baghdad, Iraq. In 1951, he immigrated to Israel with his parents, brother and sister, On the eve of his enlistment in the IDF, he was a tall, solid boy, and his eyes showed wisdom and purity, and he was ready to fulfill any mission for the peace of his family and the peace of his homeland. After basic training, he completed a tank training course and was certified as a tank gunner. He was a devoted soldier and an excellent gunner, very fond of his commanders and friends, and was an example of his friends in his good temper and in his tolerance. Even in difficult moments of mental distress or physical suffering, he did not complain. He had done everything he had been given impeccably, and earned the prestige of his superiors. Maurice often visited the house, made sure to telephone and send letters to his parents. Aware of his concern for his well-being and his welfare, he made sure to share with them the records of his experiences, and when he came home on vacation he refrained from telling them about his difficulties. During his service in the army Maurice served on the canal line during the War of Attrition and learned to get to know closely the horrors of the battles and the sense of anxiety. At the beginning of August 1972, when he was discharged from regular service, he was forced to postpone the realization of a youthful dream. He wanted to “see the world” a bit and then study physics, but could not fulfill his wish, because he had to help his father who was sick, carrying the burden of making a living. For a year he worked in the father’s shop in Tel Aviv. From time to time he was called for periods of reserve service, and in one of them he was given an excellent artillery certificate. He gained 93.3 points out of 100 possible, by firing tanks at an Armored Corps range. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Morris was called to his unit. He did not hesitate to join his unit quickly. He was sent to the southern front and fought as a tank gunner in Sinai. His friends testify to his courage and his devotion to the tasks assigned to him. He fought valiantly and was sure of the victory of the IDF against the enemy On October 17, 1973, Maurice fell in battle for the construction of the bridgehead on the “Tartar” axis in the central sector and was brought to eternal rest in Beit- The military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul left behind a father, a mother, a brother and a sister,