1st Lt. David Avni, z”l

Lieutenant David (Dudu) Avni was born in Giv’atayim, the son of Sarah and Yosef, married to Bat Sheva, and the father of Ofer and Shai. David absorbed his love of the country and desire to contribute to its security at home. His father was a member of the Haganah, and as a boy, David served as a messenger in the organization. The two even met during a Haganah operation against the British army camp in Sarona, Tel Aviv.

David, affectionately called “Dudu” by those who loved him, was fond of music, literature, and poetry. He combined seriousness with optimism. He was sociable and well-liked, always the first to volunteer and the first to lend a hand. Dudu first studied at the elementary school in Giv’atayim and later at the high school in Kibbutz Revivim. He specialized in electrical work and was a diligent and industrious student despite health problems that troubled him in his youth. A member of the HaNo’ar HaOved VeHaLomed youth movement, he was a sports enthusiast and a member of the Hapoel sports association.

In October 1957, Dudu was drafted into the IDF and assigned to the Engineering Corps. After completing basic training and the bomb disposal course, Dudu was assigned to the EOD Unit as a bomb dismantler.

Dudu completed his military service, volunteered for the Merchant Navy, and became an electrical officer. In those days, he went on long voyages. For a year, he even lived in Hamburg, Germany, working as an electrician in a theater. He returned to Israel, fought in the Six-Day War, and was injured and burned on his hands and face while removing a bomb.

In 1969, Dudu volunteered for career service. He went on to officer training, became an engineering officer, and was assigned to the Air Force’s construction unit, where he commanded a bomb disposal platoon. His commanders described him as an outstanding, respected, and beloved officer, as well as an exemplary friend. His subordinates would say that “Dudu embodies the motto ‘Follow me.’” He was dedicated and responded to every mission with “Here I am.” Shortly before the Yom Kippur War, he was on leave. Dudu interrupted his vacation and returned to base to dismantle a missile that endangered the lives of his comrades. For this act, he received a citation from his unit.

In the Yom Kippur War, Dudu fought on the southern front. On his final mission, he was called to remove bombs dropped by Egyptian planes on the runway at the Bir Tamada airfield in Sinai. He ensured that all his comrades were safe and that no one was in danger of being hurt, and only then approached to dismantle the bombs. While dismantling the bombs, Dudu was hit and killed.

Dudu fell in battle on October 9, 1973, in the Yom Kippur War. He was 33 years old. He was laid to rest in the Kiryat Shaul military cemetery, leaving behind his wife, Bat Sheva, two sons, Ofer and Shai, his parents, and his beloved siblings.

May his memory be blessed.