Uncommon Valor was a Common Virtue: An All-Female Tank Corps Takes the Fight to the Terrorists
The headline for this article was said about Marines in the battle for Iwo Jima.
Marines assaulting the Island fortress showed innovative courage and total dedication to the mission.
It was a very deadly battle with an estimated 25,000 Marines killed or wounded. Marine tanks became an amazing combat differential in helping carry close combat engagements to the relentless fanatical fight to the death enemy.
Now two generations later half a world away from Iwo, although smaller in number, Israeli tankers carried their fight to a fanatical death loving Hamas army.
This time all-female Israel Defense Force tank crews showed their uncommon valor as a common virtue: Female IDF tank crews ran down dozens of Hamas terrorists on October 7
Another of the armored crew commanders, Karni, spoke of the devastation they witnessed on the approach to Kibbutz Holit: “We realized we’re at war.”
“They told me there were terrorists in all the trees around me, so we just started firing.
“We started firing bunker busters at the terrorists that were up close, and then mortar shells at those further away,” Michal, another officer in the unit, said in the Channel 12 report.
“I could see the hits, I saw [the terrorists] fall down,” she added.
When a group of young Israeli women were woken up at 6:30 a.m. on October 7, they had no idea they would be making history as the first female armored crews in Israel, and perhaps the world, to participate in active battle.
“When the tanks arrived, they broke up the battles,” Raviv told Channel 12.
“Once they took those two positions… the terrorists understood they could either run or they would die.
“And the girls in those tanks, the warriors, with three tanks at that point in the attack, they fought in a most impressive way.
“They operated in such a way that they were seemingly not trained for.
“They fired inside Israeli communities, drove on main roads, and I believe that thanks to their actions in that area, we prevented the attack from moving further south.”
“You just run over the terrorists and move on”
But these soldiers weren’t quick to accept accolades for their “historic” battle.
“So what? What does it matter?
“Did the terrorist know there were girls in the tanks? No.
“You think they saw Michal’s hair sticking out of the helmet? No. Boys, girls — what does it matter?” Hila said.
“Tamar agreed. “You keep saying ‘heroines’ and ‘historic’… I don’t feel like a hero. I feel like I’m a soldier that was given a job, and I did my job. I think anyone would have done that.”
“This was not a battle with human beings. There was no humanity here, and my aim is to protect people. Their aim was to kill people,” Hila added.
For her part, Hagar said that there was no time to be scared. “You think about the civilians trapped in their homes and the people that needed us. You understand that there was no room for fear.”
An historic chapter in successful tank warfare was written on that horrific day, October 7 2023 for the Nation of Israel.
The modesty of accomplishment for the all female tank crews speaks for itself.
None-the-less it is way past time for all to recognize it is always a win or die situation for Israel. As expressed by these tank crews combat warriors they fight to save lives Hamas fights to take lives.
It is pure evil on the terrorists part so flatten them and run them down is a very appropriate response.
Photo credit: https://tankandafvnews.com/marine-m4a3-iwo-jima/