Captain Yossi Ohana, z"l
The pillar of fire before the camp in his life and legacy.
Son of Zehava and Asher.Born in Ashdod, on the 27th of Tamuz, 5731 (07.20.1971), the eldest son of three children. Yossi studied in his hometown through eighth grade, at the "Yahalom" and "Nave Herzog" elementary schools.From the ninth grade through twelfth grade he studied at "Or Etzion" in Merkaz Shapira, and at the same time, was active in the "Bnei Akiva" youth movement. After graduating high school, he chose to study at the pre-military mehina program at "Bnei David" in the settlement of Eli.
From childhood, according to his friends, Yossi stood out due to his special qualities – not an over-talkative fellow, but honest, serious, true to his values who stood his ground. He was also very mischievous, "but behind each act of mischief his sound discretion was always there.Common sense.He would pre-calculate the expected 'costs' and weigh them against breaking out of the framework.He was not a 'goofball' like us.He never 'lost his head'.We always said that when we would grow up, Yossi would be in charge of us; even in another twenty years ...He was the cement that held the whole class together.He had a burning inner truth, kept in check and bursting out against the entire world, without regard to rank or status.He was the unofficial leader, who negotiated with the powers to be on behalf of the whole class. "
At the pre-military mehina program in Eli, Yossi stood out with his serious and thorough approach to the material taught, and at the same time, prepared himself with all his might for combat service in an elite unit.Rabbi Chaim Vidal, from the "Bnei David" yeshiva, described him as: "Quiet and shy , attentive and vigilent, serious and responsibile, internal grandeur with the splendor of nobility, heroism, and at the foundation of everything and above all--Honesty ... His personality was characterized by constant alertness, and sometimes bordered on high internal tension, as a constant character trait.Vigilance, denying outright, by its existence, any hint of weakness or time wasting, laziness or dullness, but rather provocative and stimulating, urging and encouraging ".
Yossi enlisted in the Golani Brigade of the IDF in August1990, and from the start it was clear to him, as it was clear to his commanders and comrades, that he would go far, thanks to his excellent characteristics and because of his high motivation.After completing Special Forces training, he went to officer training and chose to continue as a commander, specifically in one of the battalions."The special forces," he said, "receive the high quality guys. The educational challenge is in the battalions."In the support company of the 51st battalion, he was loved and admired by everyone.He started as a platoon leader, continued as a deputy company commander and continued predictably and naturally to the position of commander of the battalion's support company; he served as a career officer for two years and three months, until he fell in the line of duty.
"You had all the qualities needed to be a commander. Qualities we all aspire to, and you were, as if, born with them," wrote Colonel Moshe Kaplinsky, the former Golani Brigade commander, in a book in Yossi's memory."You were professional and uncompromising, you learned and memorized, not sparing any effort to know everything. You were a complete role model. Not only did you not allow yourself slack, you always knew to demand more of yourself than you demanded from those under your command. You were the first to go into action, first up in the morning, and the last to go home ... not for naught you represented us when the government visited us in the north. We all saw a professional, true, and honest officer. To us it happened a long time ago, but the members of government were all enthralled by your charm."
Tzafrir Ben-Zeev, deputy commander of the Golani brigade, wrote: "... a rare breed of officer and man -- modest, shy, honest citizens, with penetrating self-criticism, a commander who loved his soldiers and never asked them for thanks for his actions and even did not attempt to let them know how much he worried or did for them.Yossi, I enjoyed my conversations with you and I learned a lot from you.You -- who were young and seemingly inexperienced -- your modesty, your dedication, your professionalism, love of the soldiers, taught me what an officer is."
On the 21st of Tishrei (15/10/1995) Yossi fell in the line of duty in a battle in the area of Rihan in the Security Strip in southern Lebanon.Along with him five of his men fell in the battle – Staff Sergeant Guy Shelem Haddad, Staff Sergeant Eyal Sameach, Staff Sergeant Eyal Dror, Sergeant Yotam Inbar and Sergeant Yair Barak. He was twenty-four years old when he fell in battle. After his death, he was given the rank of Captain. He was buried in the military cemetery in Ashdod.
(This page is part of the national commemoration project "Yizkor", conducted by The Ministry of Defense.)