Porat (Printa), Yoel
Yoel, son of Yael and Avshalom, was born on December 5, 1952 in Kibbutz Mesilot. He studied at the Bialik Elementary School in Holon and later continued his studies at the ORT vocational high school in Holon, specializing in electronics. Yoel traveled a lot, alone or with one or two friends. He knew the country and its sites well. From his youth, he was an avid sports enthusiast, loved the basketball game, but most of all liked to run. Every night, winter and summer, he would run about five kilometers. During his spare time, he used to sit in his armchair and listen to music, especially listening to Esther Ofarim singing. Yoel was very honest, truthful and conscientious, and excelled with courage and great energy. His friends loved him because he was kind and had an easy going personality and knew how to play around. He never quarreled with a friend and was modest, He loved his family very much, was loyal and devoted to his parents, always respected his parents. Yoel was drafted into the Israel Defense Forces in early February 1971. He was asked to serve in the combat unit, but because he was a graduate of a vocational school he was not given a request and was sent after training. Afterward he served as a combat soldier in the Shaked reconnaissance unit and participated in operations to purge the Gaza Strip of terrorists. He was later sent to study in a basic officer’s course and a third course. He was a very dedicated officer with a great deal of professional knowledge. He was not always disciplined, but he insisted on obeying military orders regarding the operational activity. His commander wrote: “Yoel was first to every trained soldier who knew the life of the field and therefore understood the soldiers of the battalion and they admired him, he knew every soldier by his name, he learned the problems of the unit’s soldiers and helped them as much as he could. He was totally ignorant of what was going on in the battalion and was a man of trust, and the soldiers loved him and they turned to him on every small matter and he always knew how to help them. ” Throughout his army service, he tried not to worry his parents and therefore did not tell them about the difficulties and dangerous activities he had taken part in. He was awarded the Operational Service Award for his part in the operational activities. During the Yom Kippur War, Yoel participated in the battle against the Syrians in the Golan Heights. In the battle that took place on the 11th of Tishrei 5734 (7.10.1973), the Katsia-Hosheniya axis was hit and fell. He demanded that his commander allow him to head a convoy of cars that brought ammunition to the battalion’s batteries. While driving in the jeep to navigate the convoy, enemy tanks opened fire on it. All the vehicles were hit and Yoel was killed when he returned to rescue the driver of the jeep that was hit. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Holon. Survived by his parents and two brothers.
