Yom Kippur War battle resonates with son

Growing up, countless times, Kibbutz Gan Shmuel native Doron Sofer heard his father, Dror Sofer, talk about his experiences in the Armored Corps when the Yom Kippur War broke out on October 6, 1973.

By DANIELLE ZIRI
DROR (LEFT) and Doron Sofer 370 (photo credit: IDF Spokesman)
DROR (LEFT) and Doron Sofer 370
(photo credit: IDF Spokesman)
Growing up, countless times, Kibbutz Gan Shmuel native Doron Sofer heard his father, Dror Sofer, talk about his experiences in the Armored Corps when the Yom Kippur War broke out on October 6, 1973.
Before being drafted himself, however, his father’s story always seemed like a “far-away tale” that had little significance to him.
Years later, as he completes his mandatory army service, that tale has become more meaningful. Doron is in the same battalion in which his father had served.
“I find myself in the same places he was at, sometimes in the exact same paths he crossed during the war,” Doron explained. “It definitely makes me think about his story.”
Dror, who was about 20 years old at the time, was driving an IDF armored personnel carrier on the Golan Heights during the first night of the war.
“At the time, I didn’t really know what was going on around me,” he told The Jerusalem Post. “I understood there was a war going on, but why and what was exactly happening? I didn’t know.”
During the sleepless night between that Saturday and Sunday, Dror had lost his best friend – his brigade commander – and on one “terrifying” occasion, he found himself directly facing Syrian tanks.
Nearly 10 years ago, Dror began participating in the writing of the Hebrew book Al Blima, which was published in 2009 and tells the story of the 188th Brigade, in which he served.
“During the creation of the book, Doron saw a lot of people come to our house and talk about the past,” Dror said.
“I even took him on a few of our field trips to the Golan Heights.
“I think that’s what influenced his choice of service,” he added.
“It was, of course, his own decision, and I never pushed him into it in any shape or form, but I think the book is what planted the seeds. I’m very proud of him.”
Doron told the Post that serving where his father did has given him a strong “sense of belonging.”
“I am proud of serving here. I love the battalion, which is not something every soldier can say,” he said.
As for the father-son relationship, both agree that although they had always been very close, their common army service has definitely “added an additional layer” to their connection.