Amir Azkrieli

Amir, son of Franka and Eldad, was born on 2 Kislev 5710 (23.11.1949) in Kibbutz Givat Brenner.

When he was two years old the family moved to Haifa and lived near Rambam Hospital, where his father worked as a doctor. Amir began his studies at the "Bat Galim" elementary school, and after his family moved to Tiberias he completed his elementary schooling there. In 1964 he moved with his family to Hadera, where he completed his high school studies.

Amir was an outstanding student, mainly in the sciences. He easily overcame complicated mathematical problems and used to help his classmates in this field. He was modest in his manner and unassuming, and whatever he did, he did quietly, with great restraint and without pretension.

Amir had a sensitive soul and the qualities of an artist. He drew and carved in wood without needing any study or instruction, expressing his deep and warm feelings in simple, swift lines. With the lens of his camera he captured pictures of rare beauty, whose subjects were a mother and child, a farewell from a father leaving for distant places, or lovers in the moonlight. He had a strong love for things of a romantic nature. He often went out to the seashore, where he found rest and refuge, watching the fishermen and the twilight of the sunset reflected in the water.

Amir was an excellent athlete, engaged often in sports, and devoted his vacations to further training in courses at the Wingate Institute and in a diving course held at the "Aqua-Sport" club in Eilat. He had a wonderful vitality that captured the hearts of those around him. Thanks to his personal charm and his sensitive soul, he gained true friends, with whom he spent time on tours and trips around the country, at sports games and at the seashore.

Amir was drafted into the IDF at the end of August 1967 and was posted to the Armored Corps. After completing basic training he took an artillery course, and afterwards successfully completed a tank commanders course. He was sent to serve in a tank battalion in the central sector of the Suez Canal, where the years of his service passed.

In the midst of the War of Attrition, in the hard battles that the IDF armored forces waged against the Egyptians, Amir proved himself an excellent gunner. He was an exemplary crew member and was the first to volunteer for operations that demanded daring and courage beyond the ordinary. In the War of Attrition he took part in the shelling of the oil refineries in the city of Suez, and the sinking of two ships in the waters of Port Said was credited to him. During his visits home he tried to conceal as much as possible of what he had been through, so as not to worry his parents, who knew only a little about the daring operations in which he took part.

At the end of August 1970 Amir was released from regular service and was assigned to a reserve unit of the Armored Corps. After his release from regular service he traveled to Italy and studied electrical engineering for one year. In 1971 he returned to Israel and continued his studies in the Faculty of Engineering at Ben-Gurion University in Be'er Sheva. He managed to complete three years of study before his death.

In the Yom Kippur War his unit fought in the central sector of the Suez Canal. On 13 Tishrei 5734 (9.10.1973), his tank battalion was deployed in the "Hamadia" compound and was under attack by a large enemy force. Amir's tank, which had three other crewmen besides himself, climbed onto the ridge that surrounded the compound in order to halt the advancing enemy tanks. Facing the ridge, a large Egyptian force was waiting for them and immediately opened deadly fire. All the tanks returned to the compound to protect themselves from the fire poured upon them, except for Amir's tank, which remained alone on the ridge and succeeded in halting the Egyptians until it was hit and the four crewmen in it were killed.

For his actions in this battle Amir was awarded the Medal of Distinguished Service.

He was brought to eternal rest in the cemetery in Hadera. He left behind parents and two sisters. After his death he was promoted to the rank of Staff Sergeant.