“A Golden Boy”: Remembering Shoham Menachem, Killed in Gaza Yesterday
He called it “meaningful.” His family called him “light.” In a single explosion, a legacy of pride became a legacy of grief.
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Staff Sergeant Shoham Menachem, 21, from Moshav Yardena, Sergeant Shlomo Yakir Shrem, 20, from Efrat, and Sergeant Yuli Faktor, 19, from Rishon LeZion, were killed in Gaza yesterday (Monday). The three served in the 52nd Armored Battalion. The tragic incident occurred during an operation by the 162nd Division in Jabalia. For reasons still under investigation, a powerful explosion occurred inside a Merkava tank carrying the soldiers.
Contrary to initial suspicions that an RPG fired by terrorists hit the tank, later assessments suggest a malfunction caused a shell to explode inside the turret, leading to the devastating loss. The tank’s commander, an officer, was also injured in the incident.
Menachem's cousin shared on the radio program *This Morning* that he enlisted in the 52nd Armored Battalion, following in the footsteps of his father, Shmuel, who was a prisoner of war during the Yom Kippur War.
“Shoham was determined to join the armored corps. It was a way of closing a circle and a source of great pride,” said his cousin Sharon. “He brought light and joy. He always wanted to help and contribute. When I asked him how things were in the army, he’d say, ‘It’s all under control, I’m doing something meaningful.’”
Sharon added that the IDF informed the family about the incident, noting there was an encounter with terrorists prior to the explosion, with the circumstances still under investigation. Shoham’s father, Shmuel, said, “We’re in a nightmare. Shaham was a good kid, a golden boy, loved by all and loving everyone. There was always worry when he was out there.”
The brother of Sergeant Shlomo Yakir Shrem, who died in the same incident, described him as “a man of action with a huge smile.” Matan shared that he wasn’t home when IDF officers arrived to notify the family: “They told me to come urgently. My dad was waiting at the door and told me I’d arrived too late.” Matan said the family learned the incident involved five small explosions inside the tank, leading to a fire.
May their memories be a blessing.