Staff Sergeant Ro’i Dawy, of blessed memory, from Givati, served as a platoon sergeant in the Tzabar Battalion, Spearhead Company.
A magical child! Modest, humble, a quiet leader, brave and heroic. A child whose smile always led him everywhere. Ro’i had a sense of gratitude that can’t be seen in everyone. Always appreciative, always thankful, always respectful. He loved music and songs of all kinds, always walking around humming. He was a man of peace, ideology, values, respect, and immense love for the homeland. He attended a pre-military program and then enlisted for combat service in Givati.
He was a Zionist and loved the country, as he wrote in his will:
“The smile rises at every possible moment, to see everyone who is here – this is the Land of Israel for which I am doing this.”
Ro’i entered the fight with his soldiers, despite understanding that he might pay with his life, but also understood that his private life was a bone in the larger body of the people of Israel.
Ro’i used to use a quote from Li’el Gid’oni, of blessed memory: “Smile, because a smile is joy and joy is the strength to move forward.” (Li’el and Ro’i were educated at the same school at different times, Li’el was killed in Operation Protective Edge and Ro’i now in Operation Swords of Iron, Ro’i and Li’el were born on the same day 9 years apart.)
On the 16th of Marcheshvan 5784 (October 31st, 23) – five days before his 21st birthday and about two weeks before his release from the IDF, Ro’i fell in the Namer (APC) disaster in northern Gaza Strip along with other fighters. Ro’i was a squad commander and the force commander at the time of the incident.
According to the testimony of the driver who survived: In the last moments, they laughed and smiled so much…
Ro’i signed his last letter with the words: “And may you only grow stronger from everything” – and this is our way forever.
