This video tells the story of the return visit of four young soldiers wounded in Gaza to Beit Halochem Tel Aviv. Amongst them is Gal Ganon. Gal and three of his friends from Tel Hashomer were brought to Beit Halochem for a closer more ‘active’ visit. They are welcomed into the Beit Halochem Zahal Disabled Veterans family.

“In a split second a person’s life can change … One centimeter up, down, left or right, and I would not be here,” commented Gal.

Several of the “old timers” welcomed them and offered sage advice. One shared that he himself was wounded in 1967 in Emek Dotan. Another man noted, “I was wounded in 1948 while I was liberating the Negev. Everything is up to you [to heal]. It is all up here,” he continued, pointing to his head and smiling. “Listen to what this Grandpa tells you, okay?”

Another veteran from a previous war approached the “newbies” to share encouragement and advice. “Take off your watch. It takes time to heal, but eventually you get there.”

The four newly wounded soldiers talk very openly about their feelings and their fears. Noam’s leg was crushed when he and his men encountered terrorists in Gaza. He said, “It takes time to digest. I really love to run. Seeing people running on the treadmills gives me a pinch in the heart. But I will get there. It was very hard to ask for help and suddenly receive help from my parents, family, and friends.”

The bond created between these young soldiers transcends units and forces. At Beit Halochem, the color of the beret no longer matters. “We were shown that we have a strong united nation, tiny on the map, but with the biggest strength there is,” these new veterans agreed. “We want to thank everyone at Beit Halochem. That is it.”