Departures of note

Yaakov (Yaki) Hetz was an Israeli soldier and defense innovator, one of the most celebrated heroes of the battle for Ammunition Hill during the 1967 Six-Day War. Serving with the 66th Battalion at age 21, he took command of his platoon after his commander was hit and helped destroy a fortified Jordanian bunker, earning the Medal of Courage for his bravery and conduct under fire. He also fought in the Yom Kippur War, where he risked his life to rescue wounded soldiers at the Battle of the Chinese Farm, receiving a special commendation for his actions decades later. Hetz later worked at Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, where his ideas contributed to advanced weapons systems including the Maoz attack drone, and he received the Israel Defense Prize in 1982. In 2017 he was chosen to light a torch at Israel's Independence Day ceremony, and for decades he devoted himself to remembrance and education, sharing the story of the battle for Jerusalem with young generations. He published his autobiography, Baptism of Fire, in 2023.