Avraham Shoshani, who is about to celebrate his 90th birthday, is undoubtedly the army’s elder statesmen of reserve duty. Every day he reports to Tel Aviv to serve in an intelligence unit that he helped to establish, the same unit he retired from at the rank of lt.-colonel in 1971.

On Thursday, is a sign of profound appreciation for his years of service, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Gabi Ashkenazi promoted Sharoni to the rank of colonel, and with Colonel Sharoni’s wife present, Ashkenazi personally pinned his new rank on his shoulder.

Sharoni by the way admits that his recognition and fondness for the intelligence unit is not just because he is a patriot, but because it was during his service that he met his wife. The two have been a couple since 1950, married by an IDF rav. They have Baruch Hashem 4 children, 19 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

(Yechiel Spira – YWN Israel)