Navon, Eitan

Eitan, son of Miriam and Joseph, was born on January 23, 1951, in Haifa. He studied for six years in an elementary school in Kiryat Tivon, and continued his elementary studies in Haifa. Afterward he studied for two years at the vocational school of the Technion, Haifa, where his father, a member of the Jewish Agency, went to Italy on behalf of the state and Eitan joined him, and in Milan he was accepted to an ORT school and studied for three years in radio and television. Who lived in Italy, met many times with Jews who had heard about Eretz Yisrael only in stories, and felt that he was obligated to act and influence the public. His meetings with the youth and the arguments he had with them about the need to leave the Diaspora and settle down Land of Israel, has himself clarified the essence of Zionism. Eitan was drafted into the IDF in early November 1970, and was assigned to the infantry. After basic training he was sent to a course for squad commanders and at the end was appointed commander of a training base for recruits. His commanders told him that he was a disciplined and devoted soldier and that he knew how to do efficiently and faithfully everything that was imposed on him. In May 1973 he married a wife and asked to establish a home in Israel. In August 1973 Eitan was released from regular service and began working for a travel company in Jerusalem. Not two months after his release when the Yom Kippur War broke out and he has not yet been assigned to a reserve unit. Upon hearing of the outbreak of the fighting, he hurried to the Armored Corps school to search for a unit and join it. He was forcibly assigned to “Nati”, who was organized to immigrate to the Golan Heights front. As soon as he reached the level, the force entered the braking battles. Eitan fought from the armored personnel carrier, which advanced most of the time at the head of the force, and during the fierce and bloody battles, the force advanced deep into the enemy territory.In the battle that took place on the 16th of Tishrei 5740 (October 12, 1973) Eitan and he was killed. He was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Haifa. Survived by a wife, parents and brother. After his fall, he was awarded the rank of First Sergeant. In a letter of condolence to the bereaved family, his commander wrote: “Eitan served in an armored unit as an armored personnel carrier commander. During his service, he proved himself as a warrior and as a person and impressed us all with his appearance and his pleasant behavior. “