IDF paratrooper Yosef Haguel, associated with famed 'Ballad for a Medic,' dies at 80

Famed IDF paratrooper Yosef Haguel, who was associated with the song Balladah L’Hovesh (Ballad for a Medic), died on Saturday at the age of 80.

During the Six Day War, Haguel fought in Battalion 28 of the Paratroopers Brigade in the battle against the Jordanian Legion in east Jerusalem.

Haguel was seriously wounded in the battle, and the company medic, Shlomo Epstein, treated him under fire. When mortar shells were fired toward them, Epstein shielded Haguel with his body to protect him and was killed on the spot by a direct hit.

Epstein’s act of heroism inspired Yehoram Gaon to sing the song at the 1969 Israel Song Festival, where it won first place.

Who wrote 'Ballad for a Medic'?

The song was written by Dan Almagor and composed by Effi Netzer about 11 years before the Six Day War. It was reportedly not written about any specific incident, but resembled several real-life events.

Many bereaved parents found the song too sad to listen to, and asked that it not be played on the radio. Epstein’s parents eventually approached Netzer and asked him to help ensure that the song was not broadcast.

Despite this, Balladah L’Hovesh became one of Gaon’s most beloved songs, even though for several years it was not played on Israeli radio stations except on Remembrance Day.