Gilad, Yochai

Yochai, the second son of Tzipora and Benjamin, was born on 15.1.1947 in Kibbutz Beit Hashita in the Jezreel Valley. Yochai was drafted into the IDF in mid-November 1966, and after completing a tank commander’s course, he completed an officer’s course and a course for company commanders, where he was highly respected. He was very committed to his soldiers and was meticulous in his performance of his orders, but at the same time he made sure to ease them up and did much for their convenience and entertainment and even arranged to organize poetry evenings for them.. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Yochai was one of the first to arrive in the battalion and one of the first to reach Sinai on the tanks, after participating for a week in battles, he was sent on October 16, 1973 with his company to accompany the Paratroopers Brigade, who was about to cross the Suez Canal, and continued north along the water line with the tanks on the avenue. On the way the company was ambushed by an enemy, who opened fire on it with strong anti-tank fire. During the course of the withdrawal, the tank was hit again by an anti-tank missile that killed Yochai and the rest of his crew (except for one) and set fire to the tank. Yochai was laid to rest in the Beit Hashita cemetery, leaving behind a wife, daughter, mother and two brothers.