Pnini, Avishai (“Avik”)

Son of Amichai and Mira. He was born at the height of the War of Independence, on the 15th of Iyar 5708 (May 25, 1948) in Tel Aviv. He attended the “Hagefen” elementary school and the “Ohel Shem” high school, both in Ramat Gan. He was active in the “Youth for Youth” organization. Avishai loved the nature and landscapes of the country and did not miss an opportunity to go on tours and participate in marches. Mostly he loved the Negev marches. He was a keen fan of fishing and bird surveillance. He also researched and thoroughly studied the way birds lived. Avishai joined the IDF in the end of September 1966 in profile 97 and joined the Nahal Brigade that served in Kibbutz Mashabei Sadeh. During his days in the farm, he joined the nature club, was active in it and toured the Negev and Arava areas. One of his hobbies was collecting snakes, which were also used to decorate his room. He did his infantry training at the Nahal base at Camp 80, while his plans to continue on command and officer training were cut off. At the beginning of his service, Avishai participated in a stretcher journey and served as a “mock casualty”. During this journey Avishai fell from the stretcher, bruised his head and fainted. He was evacuated to Hillel Yaffe Hospital in Hadera, was hospitalized overnight and released the following day and returned to his unit. He began to feel intense pain in his head, accompanied by vomiting and nausea, which caused a decline in his profile and changed his plans for command. Avishai made an effort to ignore his pain and, as stated, did all his services including ambushes on the Syrian border, fighting on the Golan Heights during the Six-Day War and a lengthy service in the Suez Canal during the War of Attrition. During the War of Attrition in the Suez Canal, he suffered severe headaches, nausea and vomiting, but he fulfilled his duties faithfully without taking into account the fact that he felt very bad. On one of the few vacations, he had arrived home in June 1969, Mira, his mother, took him to a private doctor who ordered immediate hospitalization EAvishai underwent a series of tests and fought for his life seven months of great suffering until he died at dawn on 10 Shvat (01/16/1970). His doctor noted that during his days in the Canal he suffered unbearably painful pain, and this is testimony to unbelievable heroism and sacrifice, for despite his terrible agony, Avishai continued to do his duty as usual. Avishai’s dedication to military service was great, evident that he was motivated and chose to volunteer and serve the country wholeheartedly despite his agony and intense pain. Avishai was laid to rest in the military cemetery in Kiryat Shaul.