Order of the Day: Message from the IDF Chief of Staff on Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars 2004
IDF Soldiers and Commanders,
On Remembrance Day for the Fallen of Israel's Wars, the Israeli people commune in silent sorrow with the memory of its sons and daughters, soldiers in the Israel Defense Forces, who fell in the ongoing struggle for Israel's existence.
The return of the Jewish people to its land and the building of the State of Israel are the result of a rare combination of dreams and deeds; of toil and vision; of camaraderie and joi de vivre. Unfortunately, this heroic chapter in our national narrative has also been accompanied by pain and bereavement.
Generation after generation, we are forced to escort the best of our sons, husbands and brothers to their final resting place. Young, talented people just starting to weave the fabric of their lives, who sacrificed themselves for the ancient dream: to be a free people in our land, in Zion and Jerusalem.
Even after 56 years of independence, Israel is still required to wield the sword in order to uphold the safety and security of its citizens. Today, Israel's soldiers and fighting units are involved in a daily battle against intractable enemies.
We remember all of the fallen - their faces, their smiles, how they lived, and how they died. On weekdays and holidays, we think of those who are no longer with us. Their absence is felt in every walk of life, in the army as well as in Israeli society.
As the years go by, as we follow the way that we believe is right and witness the wonder of the Jewish people establishing itself in its own land, we recognize that it could not have happened without their efforts and their sacrifice, and we are grateful.
May the memory of the fallen be an inspiration to us, making us aware of the great responsibility that rests on our shoulders; a source from which we can draw physical and mental strength and continue, with renewed vigor, to realize the purpose of the IDF - to ensure life, security and peace to the citizens and state of Israel.
On this Day of Remembrance, in the year 5764, the Israeli Defense Forces fly the flag at half-mast in love and pain; salute to the memory of our fallen comrades; warmly embrace the bereaved families, and join them in praying that no more families will be added to their circle.
May the memory of the fallen be for a blessing.