IDF Soldier's Last Message to His Father: Don't Tell Mom I'm Coming Home Sunday
The Last Message: Fallen IDF Soldier Texted His Father an Hour Before His Tank Was Hit — Asking Him to Keep a Secret From Mom
An hour before his tank was struck in a deadly explosion in southern Lebanon, 20-year-old Corporal Naveh Havshush sent his father a quiet, tender message. He had good news: there was a solid chance he'd be home by Sunday. But he had one request, his father Chaim later recalled --- don't tell Mom. He didn't want to get her hopes up in case the operational situation changed at the last minute.
Chaim Havshush, himself the deputy commander of the "Yiftach" reserve brigade, responded with a small "like." He had no way of knowing it would be the last exchange between them.
Less than an hour later, at exactly midnight between Thursday and Friday, a catastrophic explosion struck the battalion commander's tank in the al-Yatir area of southern Lebanon. Naveh, a tank commander serving in the headquarters company of Battalion 52 of the 401st Brigade from Geva Binyamin-Adam, was killed along with three other soldiers: Cpl. Liav Kababia of Hod HaSharon, Cpl. Yoav Klein of Herzliya, and Battalion 52 commander Lt. Col. Dor Gedalya Ben Simhon of Beit HaShita.
Due to the dangerous terrain and the difficulty of reaching the stricken tank in a hostile area, it took agonizing hours before a final identification could be made. Only in the early morning hours did IDF officers arrive at the family's home with the devastating news.
Chaim described his son as "an angel who never fought with anyone," always choosing to step back and help those around him. Noa had trained at the Beit Yatir pre-military academy and insisted on gaining combat experience in the armored corps before advancing to officers' course, seeing his service as a sacred mission.
After the military censor cleared his name for publication Friday, Chaim posted a message to friends: "IDF officers came tonight to tell us the bitterest news of all. Naveh, our sweet and beloved son, was killed last night in Lebanon. We would love to see all of you continuing to go on trips and trying to maintain your routines as much as possible. That is what Naveh died for. So that we can continue to live in this land. Safely, happily, and peacefully."
Naveh will be laid to rest at 6:00 p.m. today (Sunday) on Mount Herzl in Jerusalem.
His last message, asking his father to protect his mother from disappointment, has become its own kind of testament, the final words of a young man who was thinking of his family even from the hell of combat.
The IDF is still investigating what caused the tank to be struck. The inquiry has not yet concluded.