Ariel Biton Ben Shimchon, the wife of Lt. Col. Dor Ben Shimchon, commander of Battalion 52 in the 401st Armored Brigade, published a farewell post on Facebook after he was killed in combat in southern Lebanon with his tank crew. She addressed him directly with a mix of grief, gratitude and personal memories, saying he was “a mission commander” whose intelligence “served this country very well,” and that she used to say proudly that she was his wife.
In the long post, she recalled meeting him eight years ago while she was in the military course known as Maltak, describing how he stood out immediately. She wrote that their relationship quickly became serious, leading to an engagement at his kibbutz in what she called “the most beautiful view.” She also joked about his style and their shared life together, saying their seven years as a couple were the best of her life.
She said those years brought “true love,” shared growth and the raising of a family, and noted that he left behind two daughters. She wrote that the girls resemble him and that she wants them to keep his memory alive every day. Ben Shimchon also thanked him for making her a better person, for being supportive, and even for teaching her how to mow the lawn.
The post described him as a commander loved by his soldiers and by many others, saying she often had to share him with people who cared about him on weekends at home. She said his commitment was admirable, his judgment served the country well, and that although he sometimes had doubts, he carried out every role with extreme dedication. She added that she believes the army’s commanders and troops loved him because he was “a commander who was a people person.”
She ended with a promise to stay strong for their daughters, including Aya and Gaia, and repeated the line she told him under the chuppah, that she did not just want him in her life, she needed him in her life. She closed by calling him “my beloved Kodkod,” using the radio call sign style in which she addressed him, and said she would love him forever.
