Galili, Yitzhak

Son of Israel and Moshe. He was born on the 5th of Av 5706 (1946) in Kibbutz Na’an, where he studied at the kibbutz for twelve years and at the age of eighteen he volunteered for an early year of service at Kibbutz Kedma. It was in November 1965. He knew how to find interest in the army, to love the profession, to seek progress and success. He did not like the feeling of being dragged by the commander’s order. He liked to initiate, think, and criticize. His rise in the army was natural and matched his attitude toward the army. In the tank commanders course he was an outstanding trainee and he was proud of it. From this course he went to an officer’s course. But before he finished the course, the days of alert before the Six-Day War came and the future officers were integrated into their units as officers. The war broke out and on the first day of its battles, when our forces entered the enemy territory, Yitzhak was seriously injured in a tank battle that took place on the Sinai border and while he was lying in the hospital in Be’er Sheva, he received his rank as a second lieutenant there. A long time later he was unable to move his hand (because he was wounded by the penetration of a shrapnel into his chin). But with a strong desire he began to work, exercise, and play in order to restore his hand to a more or less normal force of action. After he recovered from the hospital and returned to the army and his subordinates, but did not have time to enjoy the fruits of his work as an officer and was forced to go to retaliatory action against the bases of the Jordanian terrorists. This operation is known as Operation Karameh, a town east of the Jordan, from which the enemy saboteurs went to Israel. In this operation Yitzhak fell; This was on the 21st of Adar 5728 (March 21, 1968). He was laid to rest in the cemetery at Kibbutz Na’an. From the day he fell, his rank was raised to the rank of lieutenant and in July 1968, he was commended for his devotion to purpose and courage. “On March 21, 1968, during the IDF raid on Karameh, during the battle, the tank was attacked by the enemy, and he was fired from the turret. Seeing that the tank was still running after him, he got up from behind and took his place in the turret. A short time after he got on the tank, the tank was hit a second time and Yitzhak was killed. “In a letter of condolence to his parents, the commander of his unit stated that he had served under his command for nine months and at that time knew his good character, his constant willingness to help and his quiet leadership. : “Isaac was loved by his commanders and subordinates alike; Was a dedicated officer in charge of his job and responsible, and yet a quiet officer who performed his role faithfully. “A forest plot was planted in his memory by Kibbutz Na’an, in memory of the members of Hakibbutz Hameuchad and his fallen comrades In the debriefing conducted in 2017 it was emphasized that the late Yitzhak Galili was awarded the Medal of Honor.