Decorated IDF Veteran Yishai Zimmerman, Hero of Unit 101, Dies at 93

Born in October 1933, Zimmerman enlisted in the IDF in 1952 as a tank commander before volunteering for Unit 101, which was founded in 1953 under Ariel Sharon. He served alongside Sharon and his childhood friend Meir Har-Zion, participating in early retaliatory operations. Zimmerman later became an officer in the Paratroopers Reconnaissance Unit and was awarded the Medal of Courage for his leadership during Operation Volcano near Nitzana in November 1955.

Throughout his military career, Zimmerman fought in multiple major conflicts, including the 1956 Sinai Campaign, the 1967 Six-Day War, and the 1973 Yom Kippur War, sustaining wounds in the latter two. During the First Lebanon War in 1982, Zimmerman, a licensed pilot, and another officer flew a commandeered Cessna from Beirut to Haifa, resulting in a month of imprisonment. He continued volunteering for reserve duty as a heavy tank transporter driver into his 80s, serving during the Second Lebanon War and Operation Protective Edge.

In his civilian life, Zimmerman was an activist against the Gaza disengagement plan and won a Technion competition multiple times. In his later years, he focused on preserving military history, including installing a Kfir jet and returning a historic Uzi submachine gun.