The
87th. Armored Recon. Battalion
The Unit that lead
the way to the Suez Canal and the turning point in the 1973 War
The
87th
armored reconnaissance battalion was formed urgently when the winds of war
started blowing, five months before the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. Its
personnel was a combination of young warriors from elite units and seasoned
recon veterans. On the third day of the war it was the
87th
that alone held the front line in a critical area against superior enemy forces,
on the night between the fourth and fifth day it was the
87th
that went on a scouting mission behind enemy lines and located the weak border
area between the two Egyptian armies. And in the great operation "Knights of
Hearts" – the crossing of the Suez Canal, that finally turned the tides of war,
it was the
87th
that spearheaded the attack and lead General Sharon's division ("Pillar of
Fire") to the brink of the Canal. And there, in the terrible night battle, the
87th
ceased to exist as a coherent fighting unit. But its valiant warriors had had a
great impact on the battle on the Egyptian front, and the survivors would go on
fighting within other units until the end of the war.
Because of its short life
span, and the large number of casualties (112,
including
45
killed in action) that included unit and subunit commanders, the unit's legacy
evaporated and was left to oblivion for many years. The warriors were assigned
to other reserve units and lost contact with each other and with the bereaved
families of the fallen. But lately, a group of
87th
veterans "Legacy of the 87th." has taken up the challenge of
restoring the units legacy to its deserved place in IDF's history. A veterans'
convention was held at the IDF Armored Corps Memorial Site in May
2005. Approximately 600
attended the convention, including the warriors and their families, the bereaved
families of the fallen, and invited guests, among them four high-ranking
officers (presently reserve generals) who fought with the 143rd
Armored Division in the 1973 war.
"Legacy of the 87th."
Dan Kaznelson, the 87th's
Medical Officer, Chairman [danny@87th.org.il],
+972-54-6576778
Ya'akov Limon, the 87th's
Intelligence Officer, Secretary
Uri Taiber, the 87th's
Communications Officer, Treasurer
Dov Dvir
(Dechter), Deputy CO of the
87th's "A" Company
Gideon Friedman, Deputy CO,
"B" Company
Menahem Kornweiz, the 87th's
Personnel Officer
Avi Bakal, Senior Medic in
the 87th's Medical Platoon
Katriel Shchori, Medic in
the 87th's "D" Company
Ami Niv, APC driver in the
87th's "B" Company
Itzhak Kissilov,
NCO in Intelligence section
Frida Carmeli, Widow of the
87th's first CO, Lt-Col Bentzi Carmeli
Miriam Rapaport, Sister of
Sgt. 1st Class Daniel Mizrahi, KIA on Oct. 15th 1973
![Dan Kaznelson, the 87th's Medical Officer, Chairman [danny@87th.org.il], +972-54-6576778](Danny.jpg){kind=link}
