Shaul Vardi

Shaul Vardi was born in 1943 in Na'an

Shaul Vardi was born in 1943 and grew up in Kibbutz Na'an. His parents were Hania and Yissachar, and his father was one of the kibbutz founders.

He joined the Armored Corps and trained as a tank commander, choosing this over officer training. He served in Battalion 52 and later in reserve Battalion 129 of Brigade 8. In the Six-Day War he was a platoon sergeant in Sherman M-51 tanks and fought on the southern front before moving to the Golan Heights.

On 9 June 1967, at Qala, his tank was hit and he was wounded in the face. He rescued Lieutenant Ilan Levanon under fire, and after a second hit he helped defend the wounded in the village. Defense Minister Moshe Dayan awarded him the Medal of Valor.

After the war he became an officer and volunteered for a stronghold along the Suez Canal. He ended his service as a reserve major. He managed field crops and the farm at Na'an, worked for the Jewish Agency, and later managed a Michal Negrin factory.

He was married to Aliza and had 4 children. He died at his home in Na'an in 2021.