The Second Lebanon War ended four years ago, but Captain (res.) Yonatan Levin and Sergeant (res.) Dror Candelshtein are still fighting.
During a ceremony at the Kirya army base in Tel Aviv on Friday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi issued certificates of appreciation to the two men, who were seriously injured in the war with Hezbollah.
Levin, 29, served as a deputy company commander in the Paratroopers Brigade. He sustained severe head and leg wounds from a mortar that landed near him in south Lebanon.
During that time Candelshtein was a combat soldier in the Engineering Corps. During a battle in Bint Jbeil, he sustained a bullet to the head while trying to evacuate wounded soldiers.
"In this whole difficult situation there are only two heroes and they are Dror and Yonatan, said Itzik Candelshtein, Dror’s father.
Rachel Levin, Yonatan’s mother, said she was moved by the decision to honor her son. "The chief of staff realized the significance of never-ending rehabilitation. We thank him and Yonatan’s brothers in arms very much for not abandoning us," she said.
Ashkenazi said during the ceremony, "Anyone who is in the army knows what heroism is and what it means for a soldier to face the fire, stand up in the face of the bullets and carry out the mission despite the risk involved.
"Yonatan and Dror’s heroism continues after the fighting has ended. They way you are handling your rehabilitation is inspiring," the IDF chief said.
"As the commander of our army, I am proud to have such soldiers and officers. I salute you on my behalf and the behalf of the entire IDF."