Decorated IDF Veteran Yishai Zimmerman, Hero of Unit 101, Dies at 93
Translated & summarized from Srugim by baba
Yishai Zimmerman, a decorated IDF officer and veteran of Unit 101 and the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, died at 93. He was awarded the Medal of Courage for his actions in Operation Volcano in 1955. Zimmerman fought in multiple wars, including the Six-Day War and the Yom Kippur War, and continued reserve duty into his later years. He was also an activist against the disengagement plan and a multiple-time winner of a Technion competition.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Decorated IDF veteran Yishai Zimmerman, a fighter in Unit 101 and Paratroopers Reconnaissance, died at 93.
- Zimmerman received the Medal of Courage for his command in Operation Volcano in 1955.
- He fought in the Six-Day War, where he was wounded, and the Yom Kippur War.
- Zimmerman continued reserve duty, participating in the Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge.
- He was an activist against the disengagement plan and a multiple-time winner of a Technion competition.
Yishai Zimmerman, a decorated Israeli military veteran and a prominent fighter in the elite Unit 101 and the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit, has passed away at the age of 93. Born in October 1933, Zimmerman grew up in Kibbutz Ein Harod. He enlisted in the IDF in 1952, serving as a tank commander. He later volunteered for Unit 101 alongside his classmate Meir Har-Zion, participating in retaliatory operations. He also served as an officer in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit.
Zimmerman was awarded the Medal of Courage for his actions in command of a force during Operation Volcano near Nitzana in November 1955. During his reserve service, he participated in the Sinai Campaign as a support company commander and later joined Brigade 80's reconnaissance unit. In the Six-Day War, he was wounded in the arm during the battle for Jerusalem. During the Yom Kippur War, he served as an officer in a reconnaissance battalion and participated in Operation Abirei Lev, crossing the Suez Canal.
Even in advanced age, Zimmerman continued his reserve service as a tank transporter driver, participating in the Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge. Beyond his military service, Zimmerman was active in protests against the disengagement plan. In later years, he engaged in metalworking and won first place multiple times in the Technion's "TechnoRush" competition.
Zimmerman is survived by his wife Raya, six children, including his son Amal Zimmerman, a pilot and former deputy commissioner who commanded the Israeli Police's air unit, and grandchildren.
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