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| Israel-Palestine-Jordan |
| Our thanks to the 51st Bn brave, and families |
| 2006-07-28 |
| Eight troops from Golani's 51st Battalion lost their lives on Wednesday during heavy fighting with Hizbullah operatives in the southern Lebanese village of Bint Jbail. Another officer was killed in a clash at Maron a-Ras. Maj. Roi Klein, 31, from Eli, was the deputy commander of Golani's 51st battalion. Ro'i was about to celebrate his 31st birthday. He began his army service in the brigade's elite "Egoz" unit, and then advanced to the post of company commander. He was scheduled to be promoted to battalion commander. Ro'i led his soldiers into the battle at Bint Jbail on Wednesday. He was caught in the ambush and killed in the heavy firefight with Hizbullah. Roi's served in special units of both the Paratroop and Golani brigades. He took part in another IDF offensive in Bint Jbail six years ago. His friends remember him as a quiet and modest man who strove for excellence in everything he did. In addition to his career as an army officer, Roi studied Torah at a beit midrash. Ro'i would have been 31 years old on Thursday. He is survived by a wife and two young children. Cpl. Ohad Klausner, 20, from Beit Horon, called his parents last Sunday and told them he was going into Lebanon. The family tried to reach Ohad by telephone after they heard about Wednesday's hard-fought battle in Bint Jbail, but got no answer. IDF representatives arrived with the tragic news that evening. "Already last night I felt something bad was happening," Ohad's mother said Wednesday. "The last time Ohad was home was two weeks ago. This Sunday he told us he was going into Lebanon." Ohad's uncle described the tense hours before the IDF sent the news of his fate: "We tried all day to reach him, called his friends, the hospitals - they told us there was nothing and he wasn't on the lists. Then they told us the wounded were from the 51st Golani battalion and this really worried us." Ohad is survived by his parents, a sister and a brother. Lt. Alex Schwarzman, 23, from Acre, had already registered for studies at Haifa University. "Alex always took care of his mother and grandmother," friends said Wednesday. Alex immigrated to Israel with his mother at the age of eight from Ukraine. Friends said he was dedicated to his family and did everything possible to take care of his mother and grandmother. A deputy company commander, Alex loved the army and planned to continue serving as a career officer. Alex is survived by his mother and sister. Lt. Amihai Merhavia, 24, from Eli, was the Golani platoon commander. On Wednesday morning Amihai's father, Moshe Merhavia, was still on reserve duty. When he returned home, he learned that his son was among the soldiers killed in the battle with Hizbullah. Amihai wanted to serve in battalion 51 in order to follow in the footsteps of his friend, Shmuel Weiss, who was killed in Jenin during Operation Defensive Shield. Moshe told Army Radio Thursday morning: "We were lucky to have such a wonderful son. He had a good heart. He was a fighter, a dreamer, and a believer - and a lover of Eretz Yisrael. Amihai knew very well what he was fighting for. He knew who the enemy was and he was never confused about this. This is what he taught his soldiers, whom he loved." Amihai's father, Moshe, received the news of his son's death while on reserve duty, after being called up because of the situation in Lebanon. He said he took comfort in the fact that his son had accomplished so much in his 24 years. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #1 Interesting mix of ranks: 1 major, 3 lieutenants, 2 staff sergeants, 1 sergeant, and 1 coporal. Looks as if an Hq company was ambushed. In any event, Godspeed. |
| Posted by: RWV 2006-07-28 11:11 |