Itzkovitz, Shmuel (“Shmulik”)

Son of Ya’akov (Jean) and Bianca. He was born on Sunday, 29.5.1949, in Moshav Tzofit, near Kfar Saba, where he studied at the Yalag elementary school and at the Arab school in Samat, both in Haifa. He was sent to the Haifa city police officer, but was refused, and was drafted into the IDF, At the beginning of July 1967. After his enlistment he matured, as if overnight, and it was possible to prove that the army was fulfilling its entire world. After basic training he was assigned to a transport unit, but he was not interested in this position, so he wanted to play combat duty. He was transferred to the Armored Corps and was the driver of the half-company commander in his unit. He soon became the driver of the battalion commander’s reconnaissance jeep, and he was Simcha to do his job, and when he was offered to be the driver of a brigadier general around Haifa because the driver had to be a Haifa man, he refused because he did not want to be ” “He was very influenced by those around him, especially the officers, who were all educated, and he wanted to continue his studies and decided to do so after he was released. A few days before Independence Day, informed his mother that he had been invited to the President of the State, as an outstanding soldier of his unit, and was proud of it . Shmuel was at the President’s Residence on the eve of Israel’s twenty-second Independence Day. In reply to the President’s greetings, Shmulik said, “Mr. President, allow me to thank you for the words of appreciation and praise that you have shown to us, the soldiers, and I want to add that you fought for the establishment of the foundation of the State of Israel.” . His words made a strong impression on those present. Shmulik also received a letter of appreciation from the President and the President’s signature for his contribution to enhancing state security. On May 27, 1970, a month before his release, he fell on the banks of the Suez Canal with enemy shelling. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Haifa. “Shmulik was one of the main characters in our unit, one of the veterans of the battalion, and served in the important position of the commander, but we did not call him all but the commander’s assistant, because the commander asked his advice. He was very bright and helpful to him – in our good days, when we sat at the rear base, Shmulik became a social center and concentrated all the officers around him – his mouth full of jokes and stories of feats that were characteristic of him. Who had always slept in the officers’ quarters, was also brilliant in operational terms and was often sent to rescue wounded people And he was always tired, but radiant with happiness, for he had always succeeded in the tasks assigned to him – – – what characterized him in the unit was the abundance of good he had. In the army. ” These words were uttered in the name of the unit’s soldiers, all as a eulogy for Shmuel. In a letter of condolences to the family, the unit commander wrote: “Your son was blessed with extraordinary courage, with a good heartfelt expression that never refused to anyone and was always willing to help with a broad smile on his face, a smile that was an inseparable part of him. During serious incidents in order to rescue the wounded, in this respect he was a fighter, for he was glad that he had to carry out operational operations that required courageB, daring and risk. In addition, he was well versed in every area. He developed his jeep and was able to spot any mishap immediately and repair it quickly and efficiently. “The commander concludes his letter with the words:” Dear parents! Your son was a hero and will serve as a symbol for his comrades in arms “