First Sergeant Major itai Adler
When the report about the crash came on the television, Itai’s mom, Yafa, burst into tears. “I cried over the fact that the two pilots were killed. I didn’t imagine that the tragedy was so large, and even more than that, that Itai was one of the soldiers”. Itai, the son of Yafa and Isaac, was an independent man, quiet, cool-headed and full of humor. He loved music and saved money to buy himself a system. He kept a bunny rabbit doll that his mom bought his when he was a child for a long time and until today the doll is in his room where it was before.
Isaac: “We had a very warm relationship with him. Once we went to visit him in Tel Arad after we hadn’t seen him for three weeks. We arrived at an isolated area with two tents. Itai pushed aside the sheets of the tent and came out to us out of nowhere. That is one of the concrete pictures we remember from his army days.”
Yafa: “When your son is a combat soldier, you always “hear those knocks” on the door. When we understood that Itai is among those that were killed, I waited for them on the porch. I didn’t want them to surprise me and until the last minute, it was hard for me to believe. I was sure he was there, hiding behind some bush. After an anxiety-ridden night, they identified Itai as well and because of his condition, he was one of the last ones to be identified. In the end all we got was two halves of burnt dog tags.”
Isaac: “We had a very warm relationship with him. Once we went to visit him in Tel Arad after we hadn’t seen him for three weeks. We arrived at an isolated area with two tents. Itai pushed aside the sheets of the tent and came out to us out of nowhere. That is one of the concrete pictures we remember from his army days.”
Yafa: “When your son is a combat soldier, you always “hear those knocks” on the door. When we understood that Itai is among those that were killed, I waited for them on the porch. I didn’t want them to surprise me and until the last minute, it was hard for me to believe. I was sure he was there, hiding behind some bush. After an anxiety-ridden night, they identified Itai as well and because of his condition, he was one of the last ones to be identified. In the end all we got was two halves of burnt dog tags.”