Melinitzky, Arie (Arik)

Arieh (Arik), born in Israel and Moshe, a Holocaust survivor, was born on September 21, 1952 in Tel Aviv, where he studied at the Dubnow School in Tel Aviv, The high school in Kfar Hayarok was a loyal son to his parents and his family, and he was connected to them and willing to help, both at home to his family and friends, to his subordinates and to society in general, and he was attentive to what was going on around him. “The period of study in Kfar Hayarok has hardened him, he became independent and deeply involved in social life, where he also made the decision: When I enlist, I will be in a combat unit, and so was Aryeh. In early February 1971 he was assigned to the Armored Corps. He volunteered for the Paratroops, but for medical reasons he was not accepted, and then decided to volunteer for the Armored Corps. He wanted to serve in a tank unit, but he was sent to the armored infantry unit, but nevertheless he accepted the task and decided to devote himself to the job he had been assigned, and he completed a series of courses, and they were not easy, because he had a lean body when he joined the army. A course for squad commanders, and finally an officers’ course and a supplementary course. All this he did quietly, with devotion, without uttering a word of complaint. He would come home once every three weeks, and he did not complain about it either. But when he comes, he enjoys the home atmosphere, the family around him and loves him. Indeed, after all the courses and intensive work he became a strong and wiry man. He was stationed in a unit in Sinai, where he guided soldiers for three months at Rafidim and for three months he made a line with them. He was a sports fan and played soccer. He was an excellent officer and a loyal friend, responsible and dedicated to his job, taking care of his subordinates and being loved by his friends. His commanders gave him the “operational service signal”. He tried not to worry his parents, and did not complain about the arduous training and the difficult field life. When the Yom Kippur War broke out, Aryeh was sent to the Sinai front with his unit and participated in the battle against the Egyptian forces that crossed the Suez Canal. On October 6, 1973, he fell in battle at the crossroads of the “Elqat Lexicon” north of Kantara, and he felt with his subordinates to rescue the soldiers of the “Milan” stronghold, and on the way they encountered an ambush by Egyptian commando soldiers. Enemy vehicles, until a missile hit his APC and killed him on the spot. At first he was considered missing, later declared as a space whose burial place was unknown. His body was later identified and he was brought to eternal rest in the Kiryat Shaul cemetery. He was survived by a father, mother and brother. After his fall, he was promoted to lieutenant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Aryeh stuck to his mission, while showing courage and recognition of his mission.”