Golani recruits recently completed their 70-km. beret march, joined by siblings of recently deceased soldier Cpl. Tal Segev
Date: 31/10/2012, 6:09 PM
Author: Matan Galin
Last week, recruits of the Golani Brigade completed their traditional beret march, the culminating moment of their basic training. The march ended with an emotional ceremony, led by Golani Brigade Commander Col. Yaniv Asor and attended by hundreds of commanders and soldiers who were joined by their families.
“Our enemies know that the Golani tradition is to fight with strength," said Col. Asor, who recently entered his office as Brigade Commander. "We are currently in a period during which Israel faces significant challenges. We understand the gravity of the moment. I’m confident in you; it is within your power to meet every mission and challenge. Warriors, stand proud, show courage and may everyone return home safely.”
Along the 70-km. march, soldiers of the Golani Brigade were joined by Lt. Chen Segev, Assistant to the Head of Detail within the Home Front Command, and Lt. Liran Segev, Operations Officer in the Givati Brigade’s Rotem Battalion. The two soldiers were siblings of the late Cpl. Tal Segev, who in July passed away from illness while in training to join the Golani Brigade's elite Egoz Reconnaissance Unit. The two siblings walked alongside their late brother’s friends and commanders, who have become like a second family since the incident.
“For me, participating in the march was a given," explained Chen, Tal's sister. "In this way, I feel like I’m living Tal’s life; I see him before my eyes and I feel like I’m acting on his behalf. The last Saturday I saw Tal, we spoke about his beret march. And now, exactly three months after the funeral, I’m here. To come to the memorial and see his name etched on the wall, and to see the brown beret he had expected, symbolizes the fact that Tal will always be an integral part of this team.”
Sgt. Yoav, a company medic who treated the late Cpl. Segev, spoke of the moments that forged his unbreakable ties with the Segev family. “I remember that Tal’s last words were with me while we were at the entrance to the hospital," he said. "After that, I promised myself that I’d keep in touch with Tal’s family for the rest of my life. When Chen and Liran walk with us, I feel it gives me an opportunity to give back to the family. Everyone in the company is living with Tal’s story. With the family here, we all carry Tal’s spirit. I’m sure everyone feels his presence filling the space he left in all of us."