Cohen, Yosef (Pepi)

Born in 1924 in Vienna, the capital of Austria. When he was 14, he left his home and after many wanderings immigrated to Israel in November 1940. His entire family was lost in the Holocaust. He joined the Jewish Brigade and served there for two years. Immediately after liberation he joined the Hagana. During his service in the Brigade he specialized in the profession of sniping and became one of the best snipers with combat experience. Joseph was known for his cheerfulness and agility. These qualities gave him the nickname “Pepi”. On the 29th of Adar I 5708 (29.2.1948) a Haganah patrol set out to blow up a number of houses on the Salameh border. The force was largely made up of recruits that were their first battle. The patrol encountered large enemy forces blocking the way of retreat. In this battle, six of our soldiers fell and Yosef was among them. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery at Nahalat Yitzhak.