Yosef Chaguel z"l, Soldier Behind 'Ballad for a Medic', Dies at 80

Yosef Chaguel z"l, the soldier whose survival in the Six-Day War became one of the most recognized stories of that conflict and later the basis for the song "Ballad for a Medic," passed away on Shabbat at the age of 80 while serving in the reserves.

Chaguel, born in 1946, fought with the Paratroopers Brigade in the battles for Jerusalem during the Six-Day War. He was severely wounded in both legs and could not evacuate himself from the battlefield. The company medic, Shlomo Epstein, stayed at his side and treated him under heavy shelling.

When the order came for forces to take cover from the bombardment, Chaguel remained in the open, unable to move. Epstein dragged him toward a shelter wall, laid him down facing the wall, and then lay down behind him to shield him with his own body. Moments later, a shell landed near them. Epstein was killed; Chaguel survived.

Chaguel later recounted that a large piece of shrapnel remained lodged near his heart, and he believed that had Epstein's body not stood between him and the blast, he would not have survived. Epstein's act earned him the Medal of Valor posthumously.

The story later became the basis for the well-known song "Ballad for a Medic." The song was written by Dan Almagor and performed by Yehoram Gaon. According to reports published over the years, Almagor knew the story of Epstein and Chaguel, and the final version of the song was influenced by it. The song won first place at the Song and Lyric Festival in 1969.

For Chaguel, the story did not end with the war or with the song. For years he continued to visit Epstein's grave. Later, a relationship formed between him and the medic's family. When Chaguel's first son was born, he named him Shlomo, after the medic who saved his life. Epstein's father even served as sandek at the boy's bris milah. Documentation of the event from 1971 is preserved in the National Library archives.

Over the years, Chaguel himself became the storyteller. He came to schools, met with soldiers, and recounted the battle and Epstein's story, out of a desire to memorialize the medic and pass the story on to future generations. In a 2019 interview, he said that for years he found it difficult to speak about the event, but later came to see it as a mission.

"Ballad for a Medic" became over the years one of the memorial songs most identified with the Six-Day War, but behind the words and melody stood the true story of two fighters: Shlomo Epstein, who gave his life to protect a wounded comrade, and Yosef Chaguel, who carried the story of that rescue with him for decades.