Col. (res.) Tzvika Levy "Once a paratrooper, always a paratrooper"

Danny Brenner..
Israel Hayom..
01 July '13..

The saying goes, "Once a paratrooper, always a paratrooper," and 65-year-old Col. (res.) Tzvika Levy put that saying to the test when he joined young paratrooper recruits in their famous forced march to Jerusalem over the weekend.

Levy, who lives in Kibbutz Yifat in the Jezreel Valley, is in charge of the Israel Defense Forces' lone soldiers living on kibbutzim, soldiers who either volunteered to serve from abroad or have no close family to go home to. Despite being well beyond the retirement age, Levy has insisted on volunteering for reserve duty as the family liaison officer for the Paratroopers Brigade.

Levy surprised young recruits over the weekend when he joined them during the longest, traditionally 90 kilometers (56 miles), forced march in their training, at the end of which they got their symbolic red beret. The senior volunteer showed up with a vest and weapon and marched with the troops for the last 30 kilometers in the Jerusalem hills.

"The young fighters were in shock when they saw me, in my advanced age, marching shoulder to shoulder with them, going under the stretcher, supporting them all the way and not hanging back," Levy said. "The truth is it was not hard for me. The adrenaline and my love for the paratroopers and the IDF overpower any difficulties and make the march easier."

Levy joined the march in support of the 40 lone soldiers who were among the cadets.

"Marching alongside them [the lone soldiers] symbolizes the fraternity among fighters, the symbol of the Paratroopers Brigade," Levy said. "I am sure that each and every one of them will be a brave warrior that will do their all to contribute to the country's defense... At the end of [the] march, like the fighters next to me, I was also given the red beret from the brigade commander himself. I was very moved."

Link: http://www.israelhayom.com/site/newsletter_article.php?id=10367

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