SOLDIERS OF IDF VS ARAB TERRORISTS

SOLDIERS OF IDF VS ARAB TERRORISTS

Monday, July 16, 2012

War Memoirs - Peace for the Galil by David Lax

week before Pesach תשמ'ג in Lebanon.jpg

routine tank mantainance - I'm on left (not same guys from war).jpg

This week twenty-five years ago, I was born a second time!

First of all I must say I’m writing everything from memory, these events happened twenty-five years ago.  It’s very possible that there are a few minor errors, but this is how I recollect what happened.

When the "Peace for the Galil” war started, or as it was called then Operation Peace for Galilee, we were in Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba between our two stints in the army.   A while before that, the Yeshiva went to demonstrate in Yamit for a few months, and several months later the war broke out.  When the war started we were very tense, not knowing if or when we will be called up for reserves.  If I'm not mistaken, the first group of our guys were called up a few days before us.   I was not called up in the first group, rather it was about three weeks after the war broke out.  I think we were called up either the day of, or the day before the first cease-fire.

When we boarded the buses near the Yeshiva, I remember Rav Lior getting on to the bus and saying half-jokingly, “If they’ll want to evacuate you from there (from Lebanon), don’t agree, and go onto the rooftops, because that is also part of the Promised Land (just as we did in Yamit a few weeks beforehand).

Anyway, we were called up to the reserves, and they divided us between the different battalions to replace injured soldiers of other tank crews to go out on maneuvers, because you cannot leave a tank empty without a crew.

I remember that when we were on the bus to enter Lebanon, there wasn’t enough room on the bus, and they looked for “volunteers” to get off the bus and not enter Lebanon.   It took a long time to find volunteers, and one of the people who left was our Rasap” (Staff Sergeant) in Julis (tank school) that none of us liked, and he “volunteered” not to enter Lebanon.

When we entered Lebanon, I remember the initial shock of seeing corpses along the entire stretch of the road, in all different positions, some looked like they were doubled over in pain, some were half buried, and also suddenly you would see a hand sticking out of the ground, etc

The unit we joined was Gedud 430, Chativa 500, that was located in Ein Zachalta. . We came as two tank crews.  My tank crew consisted of myself as the Gunner, Mordechai Friedman was the Loader, and Chaim Ochana was the Driver.  The second tank crew had guys from Yeshivah Har Etzion, and they were Rami Mizrachi Z”L HY”D, and two others whose names I don’t remember.   Rami Mizrachi learned with me in Or Etzion High School, and in 12th Grade he even sat next to me in the Beit Medrash

We stayed in Ein Zachalta for about three weeks, going from tank to tank, replacing crews that went out on leave.

Ein Zachalta is a beautiful place!   It is a village nestled amidst huge trees. Elderly men would sit there for hours removing the pine nuts from pinecones, so that there were piles of nuts and piles of pinecones all over.

Due to the bombings in the area, there were anti-personnel mines scattered around, and we had to be very careful as we took each step, to make sure we wouldn’t lose any of our feet by accidentally stepping on one of them.  Therefore, even “relieving ourselves” by the bushes involved danger.

In the center of the village there was a freezing waterfall fed by melted snow.  Near the falls was a closed restaurant that looked like it used to be operational in better days, and there was also a scorched Syrian tank with burnt corpses still inside.  Quite a chilling sight.

We used to shower in that waterfall, but the water was so ice-cold that our base commander (מג"ד) had a heart attack as he went to bathe there, and he was replaced by his deputy, the סמג"ד.

One of the unit commanders was the son of Berlin,that we knew from Ramat Eshkol.

Our two groups of Hesder guys used to sit for hours passing the time.  We would eat the army K-rations, and if we would find “Luf” (Spam-like stuff) that was made of chicken or Glatt Kosher meat, we would save it for Rami z”l, because he very meticulous in his level of Kashrut even in times like these.

During the day before the battle we were suddenly gathered together, and we thought we were going out to war.   I remember Rami waving to me from his tank (the tank of the סמג"ד) and shouting “Good Luck Leximon!”  (that’s my nickname)

That was the last time I saw him.

We were again gathered the night before the battle and were told that our mission was to continue until the Beirut-Damascus highway, and take control of that important cross-road.   During the night, the Artillery unit would bomb the Syrian bases controlling that road, and we would proceed with our tanks at dawn.   That entire night we heard the shelling, and we nervously awaited our pre-dawn mission.

We started advancing to our target while it was still dark, and at the first rays of light our tank commander Koby Velber (the סמ"פ ) showed me through the canon’s gunsights the places that we were going to take control over.  He told me to try to locate any bushes, caves, or any place that might be used to ambush us, and fire into those  places with the tank’s parallel machine gun.
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That is how we progressed.  Both Koby & I shot bullets into those areas with machine guns, with our tank’s cannon ready to fire, but before we even had a chance to use the cannon – suddenly – BOOM!

Our entire tank shook, a terrifying bang, and thick black smoke filled the tank.
We were in shock, what had happened?

As the smoke slowly began to disperse, we realized that we were hit by a missile!

The Syrians had in fact ambushed us.  They understood logically that we were planning to enter that area, since they were under mortar attack the entire night, and therefore prepared their ambush.  (Later on we found out that we were hit by a Sagger Missile).

As the smoke cleared a bit, I looked around me and saw Koby (the סמ"פ) trying to lift himself up on the tank, falling down, lifting himself up again, and again falling down.  I saw that he was injured in his stomach, and also saw Mordechai Friedman’s heavily bleeding face.   He was full of shrapnel and his cheek was torn.

Our tank was now stopped.  Chaim Ochana exited from the driver’s hatch, and either he or Friedman pulled Kobi from on top, while I helped from the bottom to lay Kobi on the turret.

Just then the company commander’s tank (מ"פ) stopped next to us, and we transferred the injured Kobi to it.  The מ"פ then told me to immediately get back into the driver’s seat and drive the tank out of its battle position .  Realize that during this whole time we were being fired at with bullets and missiles.

I went into the driver’s seat and Mordechai Friedman tried to guide me out of that battle zone, as I couldn’t see anything myself through the driver’s sights.   We lost all communications in the tank after that blast, and the only means of communicating with each other was by shouting.   Mordechai was also trying to navigate without his glasses, which got blown away when he were hit.

As we were trying to get out of the line of fire, I stopped often, looking back into the turret to try to figure out which direction to proceed.   I suddenly saw that the turret was on fire, and screamed to Mordechai to put it out before all of our ammunition exploded!   He finally understood what I was screaming about, and was able to extinguish the fire with his personal fire extinguisher.    Once again the fire flared up, and again he was able to extinguish it.

We somehow were able to reverse course and stopped at the bottom of the hill.   Mordechai then told me that we almost flipped over several times!

We left the tank without our weapons and found cover behind some rocks, while bullets and explosions were all around us.   Chaim Ochana joined us, and somehow we were spotted by a group of infantry soldiers who gathered us in their APC (Armored Personnel Carrier) (נגמ"ש) and took us to the rear line’s field hospital (תאג"ד)

We were treated there by a medical team.   Mordechai was full of shrapnel and had a torn cheek, and just then I started feeling back pain.   As soon as I told the medic about my pain, they immediately cut off all my clothes (leaving me in my underwear), and saw that I had some shrapnel in my back.

As they were laying me on a stretcher I saw Chaim Ochana, and I remembered that he transferred Kobi from the tank.   I asked how Kobi was, and was told that he was killed!    He said that he put Kobi on the ground and went back to our tank to see how we were doing.   Suddenly the tank that Kobi was laying next to went into reverse (he didn’t tell me it was my tank that did it – but I immediately understood), and the tank rolled over Kobi!   I held my head, realizing right away that it was I who did it.

I couldn’t have known he was there, and I didn’t have any other choice.  Even Mordechai who guided me did not see him, under the pressures and conditions we were facing, but I don’t wish it upon anybody to feel what I was feeling then.

I was transferred to a second & third evacuation center, each place I went I asked how Kobi is, and each time they told me that he was OK and was evacuated.

From there I was flown by helicopter to Rambam Hospital (in Haifa), and that was actually a pleasant experience!   On my flight there were several soldiers with more severe injuries than mine, and I was able to sit by a window to see the view.   We flew south over the ocean, and landed at the hospital.

We were met at the landing site by nurses, and I remember one of the female nurses commenting to me how pretty my underwear was – as that was all I was wearing.

In the hospital I went thru a series of test and x-rays, and they did see shrapnel in my back.   The doctors decided to leave them alone, and either the body will reject them or not, but as long as they were not causing any harm it would be better not to touch them.
I also asked about Kobi in the hospital, and was told that he arrived and that he was OK.   I could not understand how that was possible!

It was only later on that we found out what happened.   We indeed did run him over with the tank, however he was safely in between the two treads and was not at all injured from the tank!   Infantry soldiers found him and were able to evacuate him too.

They gave us a phone to call home, and when I reached my mother I calmly told her that I’m OK and I am in Israel.   “What, are you on your way home”, she asked?   “Not exactly”, I answered (at least she first heard that I was OK), “I am in Rambam, I have a slight injury, not serious, I am OK”.

Understandably, in a few hours my parents were by my side.  I remember that my father brought me the Tefillin that I asked for, and it was the first opportunity that day to put them on.

The following day the doctor released me to a recuperation center (#3) in Haifa, and my parents, who returned that following morning, took me there.   The doctor there gave me another checkup and told me that I can be released that same day and go home if I would like.  Of course I did!

I recall that during that period, every low noise would make me jump!   I would also wake up in fright when hearing noise.   I would also get frightened whenever I would notice anything red – even out of the corner of my eye!   It was not until I would realize that it was not blood, rather something simple like a field of red flowers, that I would begin to relax again.

Every day on the radio, they would announce that day’s or the previous day’s casualties, and when their funerals will take place.  I remember awakening from a nap and hearing that Ram Mizrahi from Yerushalayim was killed that day, and his funeral would be in the Har Herzl Military cemetery.  I was in shock!  We were just together a day or two ago!   Even though I was injured, I traveled to Yerushalayim that day to be at his funeral.

After two or three weeks, I was sent to the “Bakum”, (the central base where you are drafted from), and was asked what I would like to do at this point.   Without thinking twice, I said that I want to return to my base in Lebanon.   I think they were in shock, as they couldn’t believe that I would want to go back!   Most people that arrived there were either injured soldiers or active duty shirkers, and very few people volunteered to return to their bases!

I was given new gear, a kitbag full of new personal supplies (as everything I had remained in the tank), and off I went back to my unit who was now near the village of בחמדון.

I remember looking for Chaim Ochana when I got to the base, and found out that just then he went to clean out the damaged tank of Rami Mizrachi z”l.   When he returned, he told me that he found Rami’s Kippah clip, and he was quite shaken up!

Nevertheless, we were very happy to meet each other again!   Chaim told me that when we were evacuated, he remained behind, and he felt bad that he did not also get injured!   He felt very alone, and it was a difficult time for him.

As far as I remember, on that day that they towed Rami’s damaged tank back to our base, and I really wanted to go inside to see what it looked like.   My heart was pounding, and I was afraid of all the memories that would return, but I knew that if I don’t, I will never be able to overcome my fears.   I went up, and I never felt my heart pound so hard!   The smells of the burnt tank were still powerful, and the memories flooded back!   I saw the two penetrating holes in the turret (I was told they were from RPG missiles), and imagined how my friend Rami was killed by these missiles!   It wasn’t easy to be there, but I knew I had to overcome my fears, and I’m glad I did it.

We stayed in בחמדון a few more weeks, and the food got a bit better!   We finally got a better variety than the K-rations that we had up until then.

At night we would move the tanks up to their firing positions with a shell ready in its’ cannon, one tank would have the Syrian command in its crosshairs, and another tank would have the Syrian soldier’s barracks in its crosshairs.   That is how we spent the night, ready to attack as soon as we were given the command.

I remember Rav Lior coming to our base, he put on his son’s uniform and hitchhiked to Lebanon to visit his students.  He said that if his students were in Lebanon then he belongs there too.   I very much admired him for that – I don’t remember any other Rav doing that.

After a few more weeks in בחמדון  we (the Yeshiva guys) were released and we returned to Yeshiva.   If I’m not mistaken, we spent between 2-3 months in the army during the war.

Upon our return, our crew, which consisted of myself, Friedman and Ochana, went to visit our fellow crew member Kobi Velber who was still hospitalized.   We bought him a book called  Emunot, wrote him an inscription, and went in to vist.

He was laying in bed half dead!   He suffered burns on his face and on his entire body, plus a few broken ribs and liver damage.  We asked him, “Kobi, how are you?”

He then said something I will never forget.   He said, “Believe me that all this will pass, but I’ll never forget the tank rolling over me!”

So, as I wrote in the beginning of this memoir, this week – 25 years ago, I got my life back for a second time!   On Rosh Chodesh Tamuz my tank was hit, and on that day I celebrate my second birthday, as I could have easily suffered the same fate as my friend Rami z”l, but I was privileged to continue to live!


1982 war pictures - our camp in  Ein Zachlata, Lebanon, days before the battle.jpg

1982 war pictures I - enemy tank.jpg

1982 war pictures III - enemy tanks.jpg