Ben Carmela and Shmuel. Born on July 29, 1976 in Haifa, brother to Galia and Tom, he grew up in Haifa, studied at Ilanot Elementary School and graduated with honors from the Reali School in Haifa Uri was an outstanding athlete, played tennis and basketball And Uri was also a member of the sports team of his school, and Uri went out with this team to a basketball tournament in Hungary (in this tournament, which is now held in Uri’s memory, a trophy is also awarded in his name.) Uri also played basketball in Hapoel Haifa, Maccabi Nesher, And was a member of the underwater diving organization, a wonderful, responsible, self-respecting child, a sense of organization and a strong, authoritative will, a child who loved life very much and took advantage of every free moment. Educates his senior year, says: “Uri was a student and wise. Excelled in the sciences, highly educated and polite. Salt of the Earth. All the teachers liked him. He was a special guy.” His girlfriend Shiri Hayut accompanied him from 10th grade until his death. Together they spent every spare moment and together they went on vacations for trips around the world. Uri enlisted in the army in January 1995 and was accepted to a pilots’ course which he successfully completed as a combat navigator, and his commanders saw him as an outstanding, caring, proactive, responsible and energetic officer who performed his duties in the best possible way. And three times Uri managed to save friends from death: for the first time, when he was diving in the Gulf of Eilat, when he recognized a friend’s distress and had him confined to the rock until help arrived, and twice more in the squadron, One of the technicians, and another time, when a huge barrel rolled over the head of one of the soldiers He had a quick and thorough reading ability and was able to learn self-learning, which was expressed in the study of new computer programs during his military service, and everything seemed open to him, Because during the most difficult moments he always knew how to carry them into a world of pleasure, fun, laughter, and glamor, and his visits to the restaurants and meals he organized were a great thing. When the three of them met on Saturdays, the house would be filled with light, laughter, stories and friends. Four days before his fall Uri rented an apartment in Tel Aviv. The owner of the house told of his meeting with Uri: “From the first moment, I was impressed by his beautiful appearance and his outstanding qualities, which I found characteristic: clear thinking, balanced speech, gentle humor, gentleness, perfect manners.” On the 3rd of Adar 5758 (March 1, 1998), Uri was killed in the course of his service in an air accident, and at the age of twenty-one he was killed, along with Major Uriel Kolton. After his death Uri was promoted to the rank of captain. He was laid to rest at the military cemetery in Haifa. Survived by his parents, brother, sister and girlfriend. From the words of the commander of the unit where he served, Lt. Col. Adi: “Uri was a wonderful combination of physical and mental strength and tenderness, innocence and a sense of humor. Slowly but surely, he took his place in the squadron, thanks to his thorough, inquisitive, practical and progressive personality. In recent months he has acquired many qualifications and has become an operational fighter in every respect. Uri radiated happiness and action … “In Uri’s memory, a website was set up on the Internet: www.uri-manor.co.il-
