Ariel, the wife of Lt. Col. Dor Gidalia Ben Shimon, commander of Armored Battalion 52, published an emotional tribute on Facebook after he was killed in southern Lebanon overnight between Thursday and Friday. Her post mixed memories of how they met, their life as a combat couple, and the grief she says has already begun after his death.
In the letter, Ariel thanked him for making her “a better person,” for being a supportive husband, and for teaching her “how to mow the lawn.” She also promised their two daughters that they would know their father through the stories she will tell them.
She wrote that their eldest daughter Ayala already asked for him to come back, and said he still owes her a third birthday present. She added that their younger daughter, Gaia, was “doing the usual chaos” he had not yet had enough time to experience.
Ariel ended the post with the words: “My beloved commander, this is your beloved commander. I love you and will love you forever. The end.”
