Some 1,000 people from across Israel gathered in the Rishon Lezion Military Cemetery Thursday to pay their respects to a fallen soldier after friends of his family took to social media, saying they hoped the public would attend the service. Ordnance Corps Cpl. Viacheslav Gargai was killed Monday, while he was conducting routine maintenance on an armored personnel carrier on his base in the Golan Heights. Gargai's family came to Israel from Ukraine. His mother, Tanya, told neighbors the funeral service would be very small, as besides herself, her husband and her parents, they had no family in Israel. She expressed hope people would "come and pay their respects" to her son. Friends of the family posted the plea on social media, first in Russian and later in Hebrew, and it soon became viral. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu took to social media as well, offering the family his condolences and calling on people to attend the funeral. The Defense Ministry stepped in to fly Gargai's grandfather to Israel from Ukraine. His father, however, is in poor health and bedridden and was unable to attend the funeral. Immigration Absorption Minister Sofa Landver represented the government at the funeral. Zionist Union MKs Hilik Bar and Ayelet Nahmias-Verbin also attended the service, as did Yesh Atid MK Haim Jelin and Rishon Lezion Mayor Dov Zur. The Rishon Lezion Municipality arranged transportation for those seeking to attend the funeral. Gargai's battalion commander, Lt. Col. Adi Ganon, eulogized the young soldier: "Slava chose a challenging service in the Golani Brigade. Although he was a new recruit, he showed great professional skill that impressed his commanders. Those who knew him knew a caring person, who was always first to volunteer for any mission. His commanders saw him as a leader, a responsible soldier and a potential officer in the future. He was a quiet, charming person." To the family, Ganon said, "Know that your son fell in battle. We will be at your side every step of the way." "Slava, our brother, no one can come to terms with this disaster. A typical day turned into a dark one. You left a hole in our hearts that will be difficult to fill," he said. Gargai was educated at the Johanna Jabotinsky Youth Village in Beer Yaakov. After completing training to become an armored vehicle technician, he requested to be placed with an Ordnance Corps unit embedded with the Golani Brigade, even though he could have been stationed closer to home. A day before the accident, Gargai was home on leave and fell ill. His mother said she had asked him to go to the doctor to get medical leave and rest, but he insisted on returning to base.
A fellow soldier delivered a eulogy on behalf of Gargai's company, saying they were crushed by the tragedy.
"He loved the army," she said. "He always said, 'I am doing something meaningful,' and he wouldn't hear of being reassigned."
Israelis pay respects to soldier killed in maintenance accident
Some 1,000 people heed family's plea on social media, attend funeral of Cpl. Viacheslav Gargai • PM Netanyahu offers condolences to family • "Those who knew him knew a caring person, who was always first to volunteer for any mission," IDF officer says.
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