An Inside Look When A Soldier Comes Home on Leave

Friends of mine got to enjoy a short period of leave with their combat son in Gaza.

Some excerpts:-


From the Father

Thank you all for your prayers & well wishes. We have a peaceful night after nearly 2 weeks of tension and concern and troubled sleep.

A & others were given 18 hours off to go home - say hi, do laundry, repack, sleep & get back as the political and diplomatic powers that be duke out the fate of the Gazans and the soldiers sent in to stop the 8 year rain of terror missiles on civilian population centers north along the coast- now as far as Ashdod, Ashkelon, northeast as far as Kiryat Gat, East into the Negev kibbutzim & communiities, including Beersheva the capital of the Negev.

He got off the bus in Jerusalem at about 3:20pm. We took him out for a good meal and now he's doing laundry and packing up to go back on the next bus.

We cannot tell you much of what we were told and I'm sure that in telling us what we did hear- he still was not able to tell much. There is still a war going on and our boys are still in danger.

The circumstances of the fighting are brutal with every imagineable and unimagineable place & building booby trapped, including inhabited hospitals & schools, etc. where the Arabs show their lack of concern - for their own people. They would love to report not only a score killing Israeli soldiers - but that poor innocent (not so innocent) Arabs - men, women & children are killed or maimed as well. The orchestration is incredible on their part. They have become media experts of the first order. The media led on the Arab chain, the UN & the human rights groups conveniently overlook .

The soldiers - though concerned - and understanding the possible costs of going in deeper in heavily populated, heavily prepared & booby trapped cities - with snipers around every corner & from every high or low window - even though there are those that are married & those with children- want to be able to finish the job....

...At 10:45pm I raced him up to the bus stop with a very heavy duffle but now with clean dry clothes inside. After a rushed hug, kiss & blessing the short respite was over. He'll sleep in town to be able to get up and out and back to the eye of the storm in Gaza tomorrow. May the Guardian of Israel neither slumber or sleep. Anywhere else in the world faced with the tens of missiles and rockets fired in our direction massive casualties would have amassed. We live here in the country of miracles - seeing daily miracles. May they continue.

May we know better days. May G-d protect His people & the world from this creeping Evil. May our children come home safe and healthy.

From the Mother:

From: S

Quickie email about the fabulous hour I got to spend with A.

May Hashem watch over him and all our chayalim.

Most of the things I can't write.

So meanwhile let me start by saying, "B"H, he looks good."

He is very sunburnt. [His father] thought he had a fever. No, he has a humongous sunburn.

He could use some more sleep, and needs another shower, but truthfully, he didn't smell too much, and I think he said they gave them COFFEE SHAMPOO to clean their bodies with, or something like that, whatever it is. He said that no one cares about the other person being smelly anymore. And anyone who washes his hands with a "hand sanitizer" is looked on like a woosy boy. But he said diaper wipes are okay.

He said the soldiers are VERY CAREFUL not to go too fast or too far. They watch every inch, because there are tunnels EVERYWHERE under Gaza. He said that the Arabs' goal is to G-d forbid kidnap soldiers. They pop out of tunnels to grab soldiers. But B"H, the soldiers are being very careful.

He also doesn't recognize the area. He said it doesn't look like the Gush Katif we knew. It looks like a hell hole. He said after the war, they'll probably ask for a trillion dollars to rebuild, and that they'll probably get it and then Hamas will steal all the money (or Fatah or whoever's in power).

He said they steal the aid that is sent in. And they're using the 4 hours of quiet each day, instead of for handing out food, for regrouping and moving weapons, but we promised them quiet, so they regroup and we do nothing.

He said they have lots of sandwiches every day (to counter the lack of food in Lebanon last war) and they have water too, B"H. He said unfortunately a lot goes to waste.

I guess you notice that I'm not writing more or less anything about the war, but you never know who will see an email.

So, may Hashem keep him and all our soldiers safe and well and may we share besorot tovot together.

Love,

S