Gideon, son of Ona and Moshe Haim, was born on May 9, 1950 in Johannesburg, South Africa, and immigrated to Israel himself as a child aged seven and a half, two months before his family immigrated to Israel at the end of 1957. Gideon was drafted into the IDF in early August 1968 and volunteered to serve in the Armored Corps, after completing basic training in the Patton tank course, during the officer training course at the Officers’ Course, where he had an outstanding cadet. In his opinion, discipline was the first condition for the efficient operation of an armored unit, which was in charge of the heavy weapons of the IDF. His subordinates spoke about him, who was a hard and tough commander, who demanded much from himself and from them, while meticulously observing their rights and genuine and sincere concern for their personal problems. His commanders wrote about him in his opinion: “He is an excellent officer and his achievements are excellent, he has excellent technical know-how, he has good chances of progress, and he has a strong desire to move forward. A strong sense of criticism, he is honest, disciplined, a model and a personal example, difficult for his people, but acceptable to them. ” He spent most of his service in Sinai, on the front lines of the Suez Canal, until he fell in battle with his older brother, Adam, in 1970, during the War of Attrition. After his brother’s death, Gideon was brought to serve in the Armored Corps School and was a company commander in an armored officers’ course, after his superiors demanded that he no longer serve in a combat unit, but after a year he served again as a tank commander and operations officer. “The operational service signal.” After carrying out these functions in the Sinai, his superiors, especially General Albert Mandler, were determined that Gideon would no longer serve in a combat unit. And was therefore transferred to the Armored Corps School where he served as commander of a course for drivers until the Yom Kippur War broke out. Nevertheless, Gideon was on the Golan front on the eve of Yom Kippur, and at the outbreak of the war he was appointed deputy battalion commander with the rank of Major, who fought in the framework of the permanent army until he fell on the fourth day of the war, on October 9, 1973. On that day When his battalion fought with Syrian tanks, which were ten times the size of their tanks, Gidon went out to rescue broken tanks, and his tank was hit by two anti-tank rockets and Gideon was killed on the spot. The only one who survived was the tank driver. In the same battle, Gideon saved the life of the crew on his mission. He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery on Mount Herzl, near the grave of his brother Adam. Survived by a wife – Vivi married on Tu Bishvat, nine months before he was killed, mother – Ona, father – Moshe Haim, three brothers: Daniel, Joseph and BinyaminAnd a sister – Arnona. His daughter Gal was born after he fell.
