Cohen, Nissim (“Willis”)

Son of Francois and Rachel. He was born on June 21, 1930, in Tunis, Tunisia. He immigrated to Israel alone as part of Youth Aliyah and was transferred to France where he underwent agricultural training courses. He was a member of the Nitzanei Oz council and was a counselor in the Yagel and Elishama moshavim, and was drafted into the IDF in March 1951, and after his discharge from the army he occasionally went to reserve duty. Participated in the Sinai Campaign. Even before the Six-Day War, called to reserve duty, and on the second day of his battles, on the 27th of Iyar 5727 (June 6, 1967), he fell in battle at Nitzanei Oz, standing in a mortar post and facing heavy enemy bombardments. He left a wife and four children. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul. Zvi Tzur, then director-general of Mekorot, wrote a letter of condolence to his family and expressed the company’s grief, saying that on the fall of miracles for peace and security, the company had lost one of its most devoted employees. The commander of his unit ended his letter of condolences to the family, saying: “He always bore the burden of security and among the first he went to battle. His name was mentioned in a booklet issued by the Netanya Municipality in memory of the fallen. In the album “The Sharon Bloc in the Six Day War” published by the brigade headquarters, his memory was commemorated by printing his photograph.